What are the red flags of this scam?

Any text about an unpaid parking fine or speeding penalty with a link is a scam — genuine Penalty Charge Notices arrive only by post to the registered keeper of the vehicle, never by text • The link does not go to gov.uk or a genuine council domain — fake sites often use domains like 'dvsa-fines.co.uk', 'penaltycharge-pay.com', or shortened URLs • The message threatens court action, increased fees, or credit file damage if you do not pay immediately — real PCNs give 28 days to pay or appeal, not hours • The text may include a vehicle registration number (obtained from publicly visible cars or data breaches) to appear legitimate — this is not proof the message is real • The payment page asks for your full card number, expiry, CVV, name, and address — genuine council payment portals do not gather personal details this way via a link from a text • The supposed fine amount is suspiciously small (£7–£20) and framed as a discounted early-payment offer — this is designed to lower your guard into paying without checking

What should I do if this happened to me?

Do not click the link. Forward the scam text to 7726 (free on all UK mobile networks) then delete it. • If you want to check whether a genuine PCN was issued, contact your local council directly (number from their official website) or check gov.uk — do not use any link from the text. • Real parking notices from private companies (NCP, ParkingEye, etc.) arrive by post to the registered keeper. If a text claims to be from one of these, contact the company directly via their official website. • If you already clicked the link and entered card details, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card to cancel the card and block pending transactions. • Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

MEDIUM government impersonation Last reported: 11 Oct 2026 Share

A text says you have an unpaid parking fine or speeding penalty — but real PCNs only arrive by post

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A text claims you have an unpaid Penalty Charge Notice for parking or speeding, with a link to pay £7–£80 immediately or face court action. Genuine PCNs arrive by post only — DVSA, councils, and police never collect fines via text link.

A text claims you have an unpaid Penalty Charge Notice for parking or speeding, with a link to pay £7–£80 immediately or face court action. Genuine PCNs arrive by post only — DVSA, councils, and police never collect fines via text link.

Also known as: fake parking fine text UK, PCN scam text message UK, fake parking charge notice scam, speeding ticket text scam UK, fake penalty charge notice smishing, ParkingEye scam text

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. Forward the scam text to 7726 (free on all UK mobile networks) then delete it.
2 If you want to check whether a genuine PCN was issued, contact your local council directly (number from their official website) or check gov.uk — do not use any link from the text.
3 Real parking notices from private companies (NCP, ParkingEye, etc.) arrive by post to the registered keeper. If a text claims to be from one of these, contact the company directly via their official website.
4 If you already clicked the link and entered card details, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card to cancel the card and block pending transactions.
5 Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Red flags

⚠ Any text about an unpaid parking fine or speeding penalty with a link is a scam — genuine Penalty Charge Notices arrive only by post to the registered keeper of the vehicle, never by text
⚠ The link does not go to gov.uk or a genuine council domain — fake sites often use domains like 'dvsa-fines.co.uk', 'penaltycharge-pay.com', or shortened URLs
⚠ The message threatens court action, increased fees, or credit file damage if you do not pay immediately — real PCNs give 28 days to pay or appeal, not hours
⚠ The text may include a vehicle registration number (obtained from publicly visible cars or data breaches) to appear legitimate — this is not proof the message is real
⚠ The payment page asks for your full card number, expiry, CVV, name, and address — genuine council payment portals do not gather personal details this way via a link from a text
⚠ The supposed fine amount is suspiciously small (£7–£20) and framed as a discounted early-payment offer — this is designed to lower your guard into paying without checking

Known variants

Speeding camera text variant: text claims a speed camera detected you exceeding the limit and a penalty is due. The message provides a fake 'National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme' or police portal link. Real NIP (Notice of Intended Prosecution) for speeding arrives by post to the registered keeper, never by text.

Last seen: 10/1/2026
Council tax text variant: text or email claims you have unpaid council tax and provides a link to a payment site, or claims you are owed a council tax rebate requiring bank details. Real councils never demand council tax payment or rebate applications via a text link. Widespread warnings from UK councils including Wandsworth and Cheshire West (2026).

Last seen: 10/10/2026

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

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources