Drivers across the UK warned about ‘incredibly convincing’ text scam

Sent to thousands across the country, the fraudulent message suggests that the driver has not paid a parking fine, and that they could face additional charges if they do not click a link and provide payment.

Uncovered by the technology team at The Express, the scammers tell the receiver to respond to a fake Parking Charge Notice (PCN).

The Express also stated that the scam looked ‘scarily real’ – and looked almost identical to the real GOV.UK website.

The message includes warnings that the payment must be made urgently or face a higher penalty – as well as impact credit ratings.

The message reads: "Parking Charge Notice (PCN): The record shows that you have unpaid parking fines.

"The deadline for paying the fine is August 23, 2025. If you fail to pay the fine on time, you may be subject to additional fines and interest."

For anyone who has clicked on the link, they will be asked to provide a postcode of their local council, car registration number, and pay a £20 fine.

It is vitally important that any driver who receives a similar message does not click the link provided. Never share personal or financial details through texts like this.

Councils across the UK are now using social media platforms to warn citizens about the text scam.

GOV.UK website states: "Do not give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you’re not sure they’re genuine.

"Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 - it’s free. This will report the message to your mobile phone provider."

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RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “This new text message trick is the latest in a series of nasty scams where criminals are catching drivers out by imitating online payment methods.

“In the short-term, the cost is unnecessary and expensive as drivers end up paying a fine for an offence they didn’t commit.

“The long-term implications can be even worse if scammers use their bank or personal details elsewhere.

“It’s incredibly unusual to receive a text about a parking fine if there wasn’t a ticket on your car in the first place – and the ticket normally includes information on how to pay.

“To be safe rather than sorry, we’d advise any recipients of the text to first check if they need to pay a fine with the authority rather than following the URL in the SMS.

“If a fine is due, ask for the payment options and, if you choose to pay it online, make sure the website is the genuine one and that any details you enter are sent securely.”