EDITORIAL – Traffic-ticket texting scam foiled due to an alert public

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

RECEIVED A TEXT yesterday (Sept. 3, 2025) that notified me of a “Traffic Ticket Notice” from ICBC.

“Our records show that you have an unresolved traffic fine linked to your driving account,” it began. “If this remains unpaid after September 3, 2025, the following service restrictions may apply….” (Same day as I received the warning. Not much notice.)

And then it listed a whole bunch of bad things that could happen if I didn’t pay up. It didn’t mention which particular traffic violation I’d committed, leaving it open to a whole range of things. Did I run a red light? Speed through a school zone? Pull a rolling stop?

Fortunately, I was already aware of the current scam that has flooded cell phones throughout the province, so there was never any chance I’d fall for it. I’m constantly on the lookout for such scams, anyway.

I’m constantly receiving notices from alleged couriers that my package couldn’t be delivered because I wasn’t home, and please click on a link for instructions on how to get it. Then there’s the one that says my account at such-and-such a place has been suspended. “We have called you three times,” says one, claiming to be the Cloud. “Your payment method has expired” and “Your photos will be deleted.”

Another says 42 complaints have been received about my email account and it will be deleted unless I install an antivirus program, which will be provided if I click on the link.

And the ones thanking me for purchasing something for several hundred dollars with PayPal — but if by chance there’s an error in the invoice, please click here.

And, of course, there are numerous offers to help me fix certain things that are broken about my website.

Most of them are quite laughable, sporting bright colours, really bad graphics, terrible designs and a good smattering of grammatical errors, and most go directly to the junk folder. But one has to be careful in both directions — I received a couple of emails recently purporting to be from Canada Revenue Agency telling me I had an important message.

After ignoring them for a couple of weeks I checked with my tax accountant and found out the CRA messages were legit and I really did need to log into my tax account and sort it out.

The traffic ticket scam is quit clever. Being a text, it’s simple with no attempt at flashy graphics, and aims at anyone who drives. Who doesn’t occasionally commit a driving infraction and, who knows — maybe we were somehow observed doing it, or maybe we did get ticketed recently and the situation still hasn’t been resolved.

But the very brilliance of it was its undoing. This scam is so ubiquitous, and so real-sounding, that it upset thousands of people who wondered what the hell was going on. And when they wonder, they ask questions. Which they did, and the word spread, exposing the scam almost instantly. Some alert recipients even noted that the phone number originated overseas.

ICBC itself quickly got on the case, issuing a statement yesterday (Sept. 3, 2025) warning the public. “These text messages are not from ICBC, they’re a scam,” it said. “Anyone receiving a text message with these requests should delete it.

“We don’t contact customers via text about driving infractions or outstanding debt. We also don’t ask customers to confirm their identity or make payments via links in a text message.”

ICBC says it’s actively working with an external cybersecurity company to report and remove fraudulent websites that are being shared in the texts. It offered the usual good advice for these types of scams: don’t click on the link, do contact police and do delete the message.

The traffic ticket scam was so widespread that it could have resulted in many people being fooled. Fortunately, it was caught quickly, but it’s a reminder that we’ve all got to be vigilant.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.