A new scam is targeting drivers in Oxfordshire with a text message about parking fines.

Vale of White Horse District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council have placed a warning message on their websites alerting residents to the national scam.

The message says: "Warning! We’ve been made aware some people in our district have received text messages about having to pay a parking fine. These are scams – we would not send these messages. If you receive one please ignore this message."

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The text links drivers to a fake government website to pay.

Drivers are being warned to check all messages carefully and not click on links.

The RAC has warned drivers to be vigilant and has set out how text recipients can check if they do need to pay a parking fine without falling foul of scammers.

(Image: Oxford Mail) RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “This new text message trick is the latest in a series of nasty scams where criminals are catching drivers out by imitating online payment methods.

“In the short-term, the cost is unnecessary and expensive as drivers end up paying a fine for an offence they didn’t commit. The long-term implications can be even worse if scammers use their bank or personal details elsewhere.

“It’s incredibly unusual to receive a text about a parking fine if there wasn’t a ticket on your car in the first place – and the ticket normally includes information on how to pay.

“To be safe rather than sorry, we’d advise any recipients of the text to first check if they need to pay a fine with the authority rather than following the URL in the SMS. If a fine is due, ask for the payment options and, if you choose to pay it online, make sure the website is the genuine one and that any details you enter are sent securely.”

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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