Warning: Parking Ticket Scam On the Rise in Minnesota

Scams are getting sneakier by the day, making it tough to tell if you're dealing with the real deal or just another sneaky grab for your hard-earned cash.

Scammers are now slapping fake tickets on windshields across the US, including here in Minnesota, with fines that look so real you'd think your car was triple-parked on the mayor's front lawn.

Daniel Deitschel

With links and QR codes that seem legit and warnings that make you sweat, it's easy to fall for it.

Get our free mobile app

The tickets will send you to a bogus website to "pay the fine." By punching in those banking details, drivers are unknowingly gifting their info to scammers on a silver platter.

How do you avoid being scammed by fake parking tickets? Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau:

Know before you park. Before visiting a new place, research available parking and local parking requirements. Tourists with out-of-state plates are often the preferred target for parking scams because they need to familiarize themselves with local parking laws.

Examine the citation carefully. Do an internet search for the city's official parking ticket websites and compare what you find to what's on the ticket. Keep in mind that government sites should end in a .gov designation, and if there is a payment page, it should always have a secure connection.

Also See: FBI Issues Jugging Warning - The Video All Minnesotans Should Watch

Double-check the name checks should be made out to. If the ticket allows for payment by check, take a closer look at the address the check should be sent and how it should be addressed. Checks should generally be made to a specific government organization, not a string of initials or personal names.

Pay traffic citations by credit card when possible. It will be easier to contest fraudulent charges if you discover you've been scammed down the road.

If you think you've been scammed, head to the Identity Theft Resource Center's website.

Listen to Curt St. John and Samm Adams in the Morning
weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5