The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Judiciary are warning the public not to fall victim to a fraudulent text message scam claiming recipients must pay speeding fines through fake online links.
In separate advisories issued on Wednesday, both institutions said scammers are sending text messages purporting to come from the TTPS Traffic Enforcement Branch, falsely claiming that a vehicle was detected speeding by a speed enforcement system.
Recipients are then directed to click a link to pay the alleged fine.
The TTPS stressed that the messages are fraudulent and were not sent by the Police Service.
The Police Service urged members of the public to watch for common warning signs of online scams, including suspicious website addresses, pressure to make payments within a short timeframe and communications sent through unofficial channels.
It also reminded the public that official Government correspondence originates from authorised email addresses ending in .gov.tt.
Meanwhile, the Judiciary said fraudsters are using fake links designed to resemble its CourtPay portal.
One of the fraudulent websites identified ends with the domain .cam instead of .org, a common tactic used by cybercriminals to deceive users.
The Judiciary emphasised that the fake links are not associated with, generated by or authorised by the Judiciary.
It also reminded the public that payments for new Fixed Penalty Notices can only be made through the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, unless the matter has been contested in the District Court and a court has ordered payment through the Judiciary.
The Judiciary said legitimate CourtPay transactions can only be made through its official CourtPay portal.
Both agencies urged members of the public to ignore the messages, avoid clicking any links, refrain from sharing personal, financial or banking information and report suspected fraud.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted or victimised by the scam is asked to contact the TTPS Fraud Squad at *612-2470, extensions *15020 (Port-of-Spain) or 40150 (South), or email [email protected].
