LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Scammers have come up with new plots to separate Southern Nevadans from their money and personal identifying information.
Multiple agencies in Clark County and beyond are warning about new text and email scams on Friday.
Here's what you need to watch out for:
Scam 1: The Las Vegas Justice Court isn't texting you.
If your phone has been blowing up over the past few days with texts claiming you owe the City of Las Vegas money for an outstanding traffic ticket, you're not alone.
We first started looking into this issue after a local resident reached out to Channel 13 to ask about the scammy text they received.
The text shared with us claims to be from Las Vegas Courts and informs the recipient that they have an outstanding traffic ticket and have missed their payment deadline. The text includes a link and encourages those who receive it to pay what they owe within 12 hours to "avoid further fines or legal action."
The problem with this text: Las Vegas Justice Court does not solicit payments from the public through text messages.
That's according to a statement from Clark County declaring these text messages a hoax.
"The County is recently aware of a text alert stating the recipient has an unpaid ticket. This is a scam," a county spokesperson wrote. "The County, which includes the Las Vegas Justice Court, does not solicit payments from the public through text messages. Please do not click on the link to pay."
Both the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued separate warnings about the smishing scam and provided some tips to help you keep your money and personal information safe.
According to the City of Las Vegas, here are the ways residents can be informed about legitimate tickets:
- Parking Services will never reach out via text regarding an outstanding account.
- A citation number, date and the officer's name will be present on legitimate communication about tickets.
- The City does not accept parking ticket payments from third-party exchange services like Cash App.
If you're ever concerned about a ticket notification, you can reach out to the City by emailing parkingticket@lasvegasnevada.gov.
RELATED | What to know about a different text message scam targeting drivers in Las Vegas:
Scam 2: The DMV is not contacting you on behalf of Nevada Highway Patrol.
Nevada State Police are warning about an email scam that similarly solicits money for an unpaid ticket.
According to a press release, some Nevada residents reported receiving an email allegedly from the Department of Motor Vehicles on behalf of Nevada Highway Patrol.
State police say the email advises recipients they must pay a ticket from NHP, and that failure to comply will result in additional fines and the possible suspension of their driver's license.
"The Nevada Highway Patrol would like to remind you that we will not call, text, or email requesting or threatening that you must pay a fine," an agency spokesperson wrote. "The Nevada Highway Patrol will also not request that you provide your personal information over the phone, text or internet."
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