Cape Town motorists have been warned of a scam calling on road users to click on a link to pay ‘unpaid parking fees’. According to the City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility directorate, the scammers send this message via SMS, but may also use other platforms.
Mayoral Committee member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, has reminded residents and visitors that the only way to pay for the use of an on-street parking bay is directly to the parking marshal at the time of parking.
Quintas also warned motorists not to fall for the scam, or click on any links requesting a payment.
“Road users should not confuse these fraudulent messages with legitimate notifications about outstanding traffic fines. The City sends reminders to motorists who have outstanding traffic fines registered in their names.”
Quintas says legitimate notifications contain a link where road users can view their outstanding fines at www.cityofctviewfines.co.za
The public is advised of the following:
- Any person receiving an SMS, email, or WhatsApp message about ‘unpaid parking fees’ should ignore the message and not click on any links
- One of the common messages used by scammers reads:
- ‘Action required: Your parking fee remains unpaid. Please settle the balance immediately…’ This message is fraudulent
- If you have concerns about an outstanding parking fee, do not respond to the message or click on any links. Contact the City’s Transport Information Centre (TIC) for assistance on 0800 65 64 63 or transport.info@capetown.gov.za.
According to the directorate, the City charges parking fees for on-street parking bays in designated areas across Cape Town, particularly in the CBD and locations where demand for parking is high.
This is reportedly intended to promote the turnover of parking bays and prevent one motorist from occupying a parking space for extended periods, allowing fair access to parking for all road users.
“Residents and visitors should remain vigilant and avoid clicking on links in unsolicited messages claiming that parking fees are outstanding. If in doubt, contact the City directly through the Transport Information Centre for verification,” said Quintas
