HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – More law enforcement agencies are now warning drivers about fake red-light camera tickets and are urging those that believe they are victims to come forward.
Since our story aired on Tuesday, more law enforcement agencies are warning residents of a new scam targeting drivers by sending them fake red light tickets to pay.
“We are looking at about four cases now,” Lauderhill police Lt. Mike Santiago said.
Doral police put out a flyer on Wednesday referencing our exclusive story, saying if you’ve received a scam letter to call them. So far, they do not have a reported case.
**ALERT** Don't get scammed! A new scam is targeting drivers by sending them fake red-light camera tickets. If you are a resident of the City of Doral and have received a "scam letter" please contact the Doral Police Department at 305-593-6699 1/2 pic.twitter.com/vfW1tCCA4O
— Doral Police Dept. (@DoralPolice) March 30, 2022
Margate police also posted on social media, asking people to be vigilant and saying that their department does not operate red light cameras.
Krizia Torres received one of these scam notices in the mail.
“Of course I take a look at it, (say), ‘Oh my God. What happened now?’ This is not what we need at this time,” Torres said.
At first glance it appears real, you can see big bold lettering, but there are several clues indicating it’s fake.
In Torres’s case, the date says Feb. 30 and there is no such date. There is a Fort Lauderdale logo for an incident that allegedly happened in Lauderhill, and the website to pay on the citation appears to be inactive now, but a screenshot from March 14 showed a payment center.
“Some of the text on there can be somewhat larger fonts than others. It’s obviously not from an agency,” Santiago said.
Lauderhill police are putting out these tips to help people spot the fraudulent tickets:
- Verify the authenticity of the notice.
- Contact the listed organization.
- Verify the dates, locations, and time of incident.
- Do not make a payment until you receive confirmation from a verified source within the organization.
Police say to also look at the license plate photo. They believe the scammers are taking the pictures themselves at victims’ homes and editing them.
The U.S. Postal Service is not aware of any scams at the moment, but they say they will be looking into it.