Nothing catches people’s attention like a parking ticket. But don’t be fooled by this twist on phishy alarmism; scammers like to promote a sense of urgency so their targets act on impulse and don’t see the warning signs of a phish.
This phish includes the basic information one might expect from a parking ticket: a “coded” ID of the supposed location of the parking infraction, a random series of letters and numbers that supposedly correspond to this ticket, and a way to pay for the ticket. It even tries to alarm the reader further by stating that the ticket requires a court appearance.
However, this phish gives several clues that would indicate that this is not an official correspondence from any law enforcement agency.
The first clue is that nowhere in the email does it actually list the specific agency that is issuing the ticket. The email is simply signed “Traffic Police Department” and gives no state or jurisdiction information. In addition, the message is sent from kodomtry@www.sherifstores.com. Not exactly the kind of email you would expect a law enforcement agency to use, right?
And what about the hyperlink in the email? This link leads to a Google Doc–since when did the police start using Google Docs to share parking ticket information?
The message then gives you ways to pay your ticket, however, you cannot complete the “online” option because they have not told you where to go to pay online. They are hoping that in your panic you simply call the phone number it gives and pay without question.
If you see this email, just delete it. And remember: Think B4 U Click!