HAMILTON, ON - May 5, 2017 - The City of Hamilton is warning residents to watch out for Payticket notification emails that look like they are from the City of Hamilton. They are fraudulent.

City of Hamilton parking has received several phone calls regarding the scam. In most cases, callers have reported that they paid for a ticket last week and received an email notification instructing them to log onto the site and pay an amount extremely higher than the original fine.

Teranet and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) are aware of attempts to fraudulently obtain ticket payments through phishing emails. If you receive an email request to provide confidential information or to pay a ticket – Do not respond or click on any links provided. Instead, please forward the email to [email protected].

Teranet and RBC are confident there has not been any security breach in their systems, and would like to provide you with some additional information for your protection.

Phishing is the practice of sending phony email messages designed to look legitimate.

This tricks individuals into disclosing their confidential information which can lead to identity theft and online fraud.

Tips to protect against phishing

Follow these tips to help you avoid falling victim to phishing:

Never provide your confidential information in response to unsolicited communications.

Play it safe! If you don't know the source of an email or if it looks suspicious, delete it.

If you don't know the source of an email or if it looks suspicious, delete it. Be cautious! Even if you recognize a sender's email address, always pay close attention to the contents of the email as email addresses can be faked.

Even if you recognize a sender's email address, always pay close attention to the contents of the email as email addresses can be faked. Be alert! Just because an e-mail or website appears to be from a legitimate company doesn't mean it is. If you are unsure that the website is valid do not sign in or enter any confidential information.

Tips to protect against scams

It is important to be aware of a number of scams that may be related to phishing. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Always ensure that any requests are legitimate. Be wary of:

Any requests to transfer money from one bank account to another.

Being asked for your bank account number so that someone else’s salary or money owing to them can be credited to your account.

Instructions to pay tickets.

Payments can be made by accessing www.paytickets.ca with your ticket number.

Citizens who receive unsolicited emails from suspicious individuals claiming to be affiliated with the City of Hamilton should report the incident to Hamilton Police or the City of Hamilton at 905-546-2489.