Good afternoon,

This morning we have had a couple of people coming into Richmond Police Station to report suspicious texts that they have received to us. These texts claim to be requiring payment on behalf of the local authority for unpaid Parking Charge Notices (PCN). These texts then direct the recipient to a website where they will then request for you to enter your bank details. 

Please be aware that this is a scam and not a legitimate request relating to the payment of Parking notices. This scam has been seen nationwide and is not localised just to North Yorkshire.

Some of the key ways of identifying it as a scam is the following:

- The text does not state which local authority the PCN is for.

- They do not state the vehicle registration, or make and model, that the charge notice relates to.

- A local authority would not use text to contact a driver requesting payment for a PCN.

- The website link is not one for a local authority or government agency.

We understand that these sorts of texts can be very convincing and worrying to individuals, but please disregard them if you receive one. If you are unsure, then you can contact the local authority and confirm with them that there is no outstanding Parking Charge Notices against your vehicle.

Further information on how to safeguard yourself against, and how to report, scam text messages can be found through the National Cyber Security Centre at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-text-message

They can also be reported to ActionFraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

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Thank you.