Someone is creating fake parking tickets at UC Davis in an attempt to swindle money from their recipients, according to a fraud alert issued this week by the UCD Police Department.
The citations, which have been left on vehicles in the Kleiber Hall Drive parking structure, claim to be from “an independent parking enforcement operation based around UC Davis.” They instruct recipients to pay their fines online at ucdpark.com.
But the website is fake, police say, and appears to have been taken down. However, the investigation into the fraud is ongoing, and anyone who received and/or paid for one of the false citations is asked to contact the UCD Police Department at 530-752-1727.
Only UCD police and UCD Transportation Services have the authority to issue parking citations on campus property, and the university does not process any payments for fees or services through PayPal, the alert says.
Meanwhile, campus police shared the following tips for avoiding online fraud:
* Verify UCD links, websites and emails if they appear suspicious.
* Consider the requested forms of payment. Wiring money (Western Union, MoneyGram) and gift cards are not protected moneys and are difficult to track, while credit cards offer fraud protection.
* Don’t provide personal information, as people may be posing as government officials (such as the IRS) or a trusted company (banks, Apple, etc.).
* Use caution with unexpected links received via email and text. Do online research of a company or message before you click.