The Fake Traffic Ticket Text: How I Spotted a Digital Scam Before It Got Me

This summer, while I was in Florida for several weeks, I received a text message telling me that I had an “outstanding traffic ticket”. According to the message, if I didn’t pay through the link they provided by the next day, my vehicle registration and driving privileges would be suspended, I would be prosecuted, and my credit score would be negatively affected. 

Immediately, I suspected something was wrong. I had been away for a month, so I hadn’t driven my car in a while. This meant I had no opportunity to commit a traffic violation. I also noticed that the tone of the message was unusually threatening and urgent. This experience ended up becoming a perfect example of a modern digital  scam. 

What Was the Purpose of This Scam?

Scammers often use fake violations to pressure people  into paying quickly before they have time to really think about if the information makes sense. By listing consequences such as legal action and credit score damage, the scammer incites fear, hoping the recipient will panic and comply. These scams often aim to collect credit card information, addresses, driver’s license or identity data, and bank login credentials- just to name a few. 

What Tactics Were Used to Make the Scam Work?

1. fake authority- the message sounded like an official government notice. This makes it seem more important to recipients. 
2. time pressure- creating urgency makes recipients less likely to think too much about if it’s credible. 
3. fear-based language- threats of legal trouble and damaged credit scores are emotional triggers that make the recipient want to fix the issue quickly. 

This scam relies on a common technique that scammers use to trick recipients- combining emotional pressure, fake authority, and urgency. 

How I Knew It Was Fake;

I knew this message was a scam initially because I wasn’t even in the state when the ticked supposedly occurred. Upon further inspection, the scam was obvious because government agencies don’t threaten you through text messages and the link looked suspicious.

How to Tell If a Message Like This is Real or Fake

There are many steps you can take to determine is a suspicious message is fake. The first thing you can do is look at the link. If the message is claiming to be from a government agency, the link should have a .gov domain. If you are still unsure, contact the agency directly and do not click on the link. In addition, if the message is threatening and urgent it is most likely a scam.