'UKPC' parking fine scam email: how to stay safe

Rights, Scams and Politics

Updated on 19 January 2018 | 9 Comments

Watch out for this 'UKPC' parking fine email scam telling you that you have a parking ticket and need to pay a fine.

A parking fine scam email is hitting hundreds of victims' inboxes.

Fraudsters are sending out emails entitled "Parking Charge Reminder" that look as if they are from a legitimate company called UK Parking Control (UKPC) claiming that you have a parking ticket.

The email says you have a parking ticket and encourages the reader to click on a link to ‘payment options and photos’ to find out more about your fine and how to pay. However, the link is likely to contain malware that would allow criminals to access information on your computer, or monitor the websites you visit and your keystrokes allowing scammers to get hold of your personal information.

To make the email look more genuine it contains randomly generated reference numbers and says you owe a parking charge amounting to £90.

Image credit: Action Fraud

UKPC will never contact people in this way.

If you receive the email don’t click on any links or download any attachments instead report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or by using the online fraud reporting tool.   

How to avoid email scams

Here are a few tips to make sure you don't fall for those scam emails:

  • Never click on links within emails you weren’t expecting
  • Look up the address of a company and type it into the address bar yourself if you think you need to visit the website
  • Never reply to spam emails
  • If you get an email from your bank or building society asking for personal details do not respond. Look up a telephone number and call to check, but financial institutions won’t contact you out of the blue asking you to give out personal information
  • Never download attachments unless you know and trust the sender
  • Keep abreast of the latest cons and scams by visiting LoveMONEY’s scam page or Action Fraud

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