State Police Issue Alert About Red Light Violation Email Scam
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- State Police have issued a warning to Pennsylvania residents about a possible new phishing scam popping up in inbox, claiming you ran a red light.
According to state police, the emails claim to be from PennDOT and the subject line reads: "Action Required – Fine for Traffic Violations."
Within the actual email, it says, "a vehicle registered to you was captured running a red light."
It also contains a date the alleged violation happened, a ticket number, the fine owed, and links that redirect the user to websites not affiliated with PennDOT.
Authorities say these scam emails also have spelling mistakes, typos and poor grammar.
Also, state police say if you receive a legitimate citation or traffic ticket in Pennsylvania, it is not paid directly to PennDOT.
To see an example of one of the scam emails, click here to read this notice from state police. They also provide tips for avoid scams.
Here are some of their tips for dealing with suspicious emails:
- NEVER open a link or attachment when the sender is not known.
- NEVER click on an email link that only has an IP address.
- NEVER run a program or allow a plug in when the source is unknown or untrusted
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