Received a text about a traffic ticket? It's fake, say police

Police say if Automated Speed Enforcement cameras catch your vehicle speeding in a school zone, you will receive the notice in the mail, not by text message. (Pexels/Pixabay)

Waterloo regional police are warning about a scam after a member with the service received a text urging them to pay a speeding ticket immediately to avoid being called to court and additional fines.

The message said: “Our automated speed monitoring system has detected your vehicle at 33km/h in a school zone where the speed limit is 30 km/h. It is strongly advised you make the payment before 29-03-2024, to address this violation without the necessity of a court appearance and to avoid accumulating additional late fees.”

The text then included a link to a fake Ontario courts page.

Similar text scams have been reported across in the country, including in Toronto and British Columbia.

The Ontario Court of Justice, Region of Waterloo and Waterloo regional police do not send tickets or payment reminders via text messages, police said in a message posted to social media.

They are urging people not to click the link in the text if you receive one.

Police said if Automated Speed Enforcement cameras catch your vehicle speeding in a school zone, you will receive the notice in the mail, not by text message.