Drivers are paying up to £120 under a new bogus parking ticket scam

1 July 2024, 14:36

Scammers are targeting drivers in a new bogus parking ticket scheme which is costing motorists up to £120.

A concerned resident in Peckham, South London, says the Sunday ticket was "surprising" because his local parking restrictions don't apply on weekends.

He said: "After examining the ticket closely, it became clear that it was a fake, designed to deceive residents into paying fines to a bogus company."

"I was shocked to learn that several neighbours had also been targeted by this scam and some had even gone so far as to renew their parking permits unnecessarily or pay the fraudulent fines."

The vigilant Peckham local also said it was "deeply troubling" to see such schemes exploiting our community's trust and causing undue stress and financial loss."

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An Islington driver discovered the scam when he found a fraudulent ticket attached to his windscreen alongside a legitimate ticket from the council.

He says the car was parked on a public road, and both tickets appeared at the same time. The scam ticket was emblazoned with "parking charge notice," while the actual ticket read "penalty charge notice."

Hoping to dispute both fines, he turned to the internet for advice. He told LBC he knew the ticket was bogus after a Reddit user in a legal advice subreddit told him the company that issued the fine was unregistered.

The upset motorist also tried to call the number provided by "Parking Measure Control" but was unable to reach anyone. Once he realized the scam, he decided to ignore the slip.

Both bogus tickets were issued by a company called Parking Measure Control Ltd.

The notice says the driver must pay £120 "within the next 14 days" or a "discounted amount" of £60 for "early payments" within seven days.

There is a QR code that leads to a website where the "offender" can insert a notice number and a registration number.

LBC found that any combination of numbers and letters will allow the user access to the payment page.

The phone number written on the tickets leads to a recorded message telling the user to email the company to appeal or stay on the line. LBC was unable to reach anyone after multiple calls.

Islington Council, Southwark Council, and Parking Measure Controls Ltd have been approached for comment.