Police re-issue warning of traffic violation scam

The Calgary Police Service Cyber Forensics Unit is warning Calgarians of an email scam that lures victims through allegations of a traffic offence.

This scam first began making the rounds in early 2016, and the CPS issued a warning to citizens. Over the last few days, police have been alerted to a number of similar attempts to request money by email from victims for alleged traffic offenses.

The Calgary Police Service does not issue traffic violations via email. All automated summons for traffic violations are mailed to vehicle owners and contain images of the offence.

If you receive an email such as this, do not click on any links, or send money or personal information to the email senders.

Here are some helpful tips to protect yourself from email frauds:

• Carefully check the email address of the sender against other authenticated sources. Look for any discrepancies.
• Never click links in emails that have unverified senders.
• Government or municipal agencies do not typically request money or payment via email. Should you get an email from someone claiming to represent one of these agencies, call them using a number found on their legitimate websites to verify the email.
• Never provide personal information or money, without first authenticating the request.
• Don’t fall for quick pressure tactics such as a short deadline for payment.

Anyone who has lost money or provided personal information as a result of this scam is encouraged to call the non-emergency number 403-266-1234. People who have received similar fraudulent emails, but who have not lost money or personal information, are encouraged to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or at www.antifraudcentre.ca.