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Original poster

To ask if anyone else has received a scam text message about an overdue penalty charge?

86 replies

KimberleyClark · 02/10/2024 15:51

I have. It said “You have an overdue Penalty charge notice, today is the last day you can get a 50% discount on your fine…” There was a link which took me to a what looked like gov.uk page, but the web page address was not gov.uk. You had to put your number in to retrieve the details of the penalty charge which I probably unwisely did. Something came up giving the date of the penalty charge as 18 Sept but no location details. We were in Sweden on that date and the car was parked at Heathrow short stay!

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar.

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MontysBakehouse · 03/10/2024 17:39

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 03/10/2024 17:16

Jeez! DO NOT click on the link, however much it may amuse you to type in something stupid for the reg.
You're confirming that it's a "live" number so they'll phish you further.

Show quote history

And just clicking the link can expose you to malware.

Doggymummar · 03/10/2024 17:29

Yes I had two yesterday

Delphigirl · 03/10/2024 17:29

Yes I know three people who got one yesterday. In Oxfordshire.

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 03/10/2024 17:16

Angelchick1971 · 02/10/2024 21:53

I got one today by text. I entered an "inventive" reg number and it still took me to a payment page 😅 🙃

Jeez! DO NOT click on the link, however much it may amuse you to type in something stupid for the reg.
You're confirming that it's a "live" number so they'll phish you further.

MintGlitter · 03/10/2024 17:10

I did last week, but knew it was a scam.

You can put any random letters into the 'licence' box and the same thing will come up.

JohnTheRevelator · 03/10/2024 17:07

I've had one of these and I don't even own a car.

Killerqueenie · 03/10/2024 16:57

I got this exact message on Monday. I was a bit worried as I was struggling to pay for parking when we went to an exhibition centre on Saturday and thought maybe it hadn't gone through. I'm glad I didn't click on it though as I suspected it may have been a scam.

AffIt · 03/10/2024 15:56

Funnily enough, I got one today and even though I work in infosec/DLP, it was convincing enough to make me look twice.

There are some very sophisticated scams on the go and constant awareness and education is really important.

CucumberBagel · 03/10/2024 15:48

Yup, got one a few days ago. Ignored it because officials don't bloody text people this stuff 🙄

SherbetSweeties · 03/10/2024 15:47

Yes i got one this week. I emailed they apparently never text only send letters.

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/10/2024 15:41

No but I received one claiming to be the DWP, saying I needed to go to a website link to confirm my personal details so that my JSA application could be processed quickly.

I haven’t made one but several of the recipients of the no doubt thousands of the same message that were sent out would have and may well have been drawn in and given their details to god knows who.

Trying to scam people needing benefits. How low can you go? Scumbags.

StiggyZardust · 03/10/2024 15:36

DH and I had the message last week. About an hour apart. Deleted immediately.

LetGoLetThem1234 · 03/10/2024 15:17

Yes I did. It was quite vague "your local council" was one phrase that made me go Confused

Plus, as pp said no date of original offence.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 03/10/2024 13:57

It's not about blocking and deleting, that's the visible bit that you see. It's behind the link, the phishing for your details, any details. Clicking links is a daft thing to do, especially this one, it really was obvious.

Link clickers can expect to receive many more of these.

Nchanged89 · 02/10/2024 22:41

I wonder what the common demoniator is with why do many people receive this in one go?
Data leak from somewhere?

Nchanged89 · 02/10/2024 22:36

Had the exact text yesterday. I clicked on the link and it took me page of the supreme court.
I only opened it because I regularly pay fines and tolls and my number is linked to a lot of vehicles with the DVLA so it's common for me to recieve texts about fines etc.

LittleMissLateForWorkAgain · 02/10/2024 22:22

I got one as apparently my car got a penalty charge on 27 Aug, a day I spent all of on the train from Aberdeen to London.

Unless my car takes itself off for a drive alone it was parked in my street and had been for 3 weeks.

Deleted and blocked and reported as scam.

RightOnTheEdge · 02/10/2024 22:13

I got the same one today.
Reported it as spam and blocked it.

WhereAreAllTheOddSocks · 02/10/2024 22:03

Yep I had the same text from 2 different numbers.
Just ignore anything you're not expecting

PassingStranger · 02/10/2024 22:02

How do they get your number?

MontysBakehouse · 02/10/2024 21:59

Angelchick1971 · 02/10/2024 21:53

I got one today by text. I entered an "inventive" reg number and it still took me to a payment page 😅 🙃

Why would you do this? Recognizing it as a phishing site then still clicking through the website is nuts.

RhapsodyBohemian · 02/10/2024 21:58

Yep. I got one last week allegedly from the DGT (I'm in Spain) for a fine that occurred on 12/10/2024.... yeah, has anyone else noticed the blatant fault there?

I've got a fine from the future!

bananaboats · 02/10/2024 21:57

I got it today as well, I also don't have a car!

connie26 · 02/10/2024 21:57

Yes, I had this today too. Reported it as spam and blocked the number.

Devilsmommy · 02/10/2024 21:55

Yes my DH got one today. Hilarious really seeing as neither of us drive