Published Jul 2, 2024. Share. Published Jul 2, 2024. Share. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2024.Donate today. Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. New York City officials are warning the public about a text message scam that seeks to trick people into paying a fine that most New Yorkers find laughable: a 2.50 parking ticket. The textstatesthat settling the unpaid parking balance will allow vehicle owners to avoid the steeper fee of 25. It includes a link that resembles the name of an official city website known as NYC City Pay, where residents can make a variety of payments for city services, permits and violations. In scam parlance, such texts are known as smishing campaigns, i.e., fraud attacks that use SMS or text messages. Many of us say it could never happen to me, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday during his press conference at City Hall. You'd be surprised how we are looped into these various requests for our personal information. . He said the Department of Finance and City Pay would never request payment from anyone via a text message. City officials did not say how many people had officially reported receiving the text, although Fabien Levy, deputy mayor of communications, said he himself had received the text. Within the Gothamist newsroom, five people said they d been targeted. Transit reporter Stephen Nessen said he d gotten the text multiple times. Assemblymember Ron Kim of Queenssaidthat not only had he received the text, he was a victim of a social media scam last year. I had to spend months getting my identity secure, clearing up my credit, etc. he wrote on X. It was an absolute nightmare. . OnReddit, people who claimed they lived in states as far California said they had received the text. Those familiar with New York City s car culture remarked on the absurdly low fine for a city where parking tickets can cost over 100. No one gets an NYC parking ticket for 2.50, one person wrote. The scam inspired one commenter namedImpossibleDinner85to look up their real fines on the city s website. The total was 193. 2.50 sounding much better, they wrote. Tagged. Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Emailemail protected. Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. MORE news. Because New Yorkers get free access on the first Monday of every month, here are your evening links: air conditioners have a new look, and so does Abercrombie, new shark protections from Gov. Hochul, and more from around the city and internet. Published Jul 5, 2024 at 3:08 p.m. ET. The return of Sunday service comes after the City Council and Mayor Eric Adams agreed to reverse budget cuts for the three library systems. The return of Sunday service comes after the City Council and Mayor Eric Adams agreed to reverse budget cuts for the three library systems. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts, events and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio.
New York City officials warn of a text message scam tricking people into paying a $2.50 parking ticket to avoid a $25 fee. The scam involves a link resembling an official city website. Mayor Eric Adams emphasized vigilance against providing personal information. The scam has targeted several individuals, including public figures. Some recipients questioned the absurdly low fine, highlighting typical NYC parking ticket costs exceeding $100.