The Boston Police Department is warning residents about an increase in scams involving fake texts, calls, or voicemails directing victims to an unknown website to pay outstanding parking or traffic citations. These fraudulent notices are designed to sound like legitimate correspondence from the City of Boston or local courts.
What to look out for:
Fraudulent notices may include a link to an unfamiliar website, a QR code or payment link that threatens late fees and legal repercussions for failure to pay. Residents should be cautious of any unsolicited parking-related notice that requests payment, especially if it includes a link to an unfamiliar website.
Do not scan any QR codes or submit any payment based on an unsolicited notice without first verifying it through official channels.
How to verify a legitimate parking violation:
Visit the City of Boston’s official parking page to confirm whether a notice is legitimate before taking any action: [How To Pay A Parking Ticket]
Report it:
If you have received a fraudulent notice or have been victimized, please report it to the Boston Police Department. For emergencies or active criminal activity, call 9-1-1.
Community members wishing to provide information anonymously may do so via the CrimeStoppers Tip Line:
By Phone: 1-800-494-TIPS
By Text: Text the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463)
Online: Submit a tip via Boston Police CrimeStoppers
Photos and videos related to this investigation may also be submitted anonymously. The Boston Police Department will strictly safeguard the identities of those who wish to provide information confidentially.