Motorists being swindled by fake parking fine scam

A LEGAL expert has warned that a convincing parking fine scam is catching out thousands of motorists - using fake tickets, cloned logos and even real car details to trick people into handing over their bank details.

- by NEIL SHAW

Victims return to their cars to find what looks like an official penalty charge notice stuck to their windscreen.

The fake ticket includes the driver's registration, a convincing logo from a legitimate parking company or council and a QR code or website to pay the fine.

"Everything about these fake tickets looks authentic - the branding, the language, even the payment site," said Paul Hampson, a fraud expert at CEL Solicitors.

"It's an incredibly slick operation, and drivers are falling for it because it plays on panic and urgency. You just want to pay and move on."