What are the red flags of this scam?

Canadian cities do not issue parking tickets by text message — tickets are placed on vehicles or sent by mail • The text creates urgency: 'Pay within 24 hours to avoid an additional $65 penalty fee' • The link URL does not match the municipality's official .ca website domain • A QR code is included — QR codes lead to the same fake payment page as a link • The fine amount is low ($12–$45) to seem routine and not worth questioning • The message is generic — 'Dear vehicle owner' or 'Dear driver' with no name or plate number

What should I do if this happened to me?

Do not click the link or scan the QR code in the text — real parking tickets are never issued by SMS in Canada • If you want to check whether you have an actual outstanding ticket, visit your municipality's official website by typing the URL yourself, or call the city's parking authority directly • If you clicked and entered card details: call your bank immediately to report the fraud and request a replacement card • Report the smishing text to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM) with your carrier, or file online at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

MEDIUM phishing Last reported: Sep 23, 2026 Share

A text says your vehicle received a parking violation — pay now to avoid penalties

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A text message claims your vehicle was caught in a no-parking zone or you have an unpaid municipal parking ticket — pay a small fee through the link or QR code before a penalty is added. The link leads to a fake payment page that steals your card details. Active in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Kingston, Calgary, and other Canadian cities.

A text message claims your vehicle was caught in a no-parking zone or you have an unpaid municipal parking ticket — pay a small fee through the link or QR code before a penalty is added. The link leads to a fake payment page that steals your card details. Active in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Kingston, Calgary, and other Canadian cities.

Also known as: fake parking ticket text Canada, smishing parking ticket Canada, municipal fine text scam, fake city parking notice text, QR code parking scam Canada

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Do not click the link or scan the QR code in the text — real parking tickets are never issued by SMS in Canada
2 If you want to check whether you have an actual outstanding ticket, visit your municipality's official website by typing the URL yourself, or call the city's parking authority directly
3 If you clicked and entered card details: call your bank immediately to report the fraud and request a replacement card
4 Report the smishing text to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM) with your carrier, or file online at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
5 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ Canadian cities do not issue parking tickets by text message — tickets are placed on vehicles or sent by mail
⚠ The text creates urgency: 'Pay within 24 hours to avoid an additional $65 penalty fee'
⚠ The link URL does not match the municipality's official .ca website domain
⚠ A QR code is included — QR codes lead to the same fake payment page as a link
⚠ The fine amount is low ($12–$45) to seem routine and not worth questioning
⚠ The message is generic — 'Dear vehicle owner' or 'Dear driver' with no name or plate number

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources