(Richmond)- Virginia State Police is warning all Virginians of an email scam that advises individuals they are receiving an “automated traffic ticket” from the State Police. Virginia State Police DOES NOT use or issue digital/automated traffic tickets or summonses. Anyone receiving such an email should delete it and NOT click on any links provided in the email (See example below).
The email scam is just one of numerous tactics used by scammers to harass individuals under the guise of being the Virginia State Police. Just last month Virginia State Police pushed out an advisory about state police phone numbers being cloned by scammers demanding money and/or threatening individuals with arrest warrants. In these instances, anyone receiving such a phone call should hang up.
To protect youself from such scams:
· Never open or click on a link in an email from an unknown email address, individual or organization. To check the validity of an email, locate the entity’s website and call to determine if it is a legitimate email. The same goes for an individual.
· Never give out personal information, credit card numbers, bank account information, etc. to an unknown individuals or entities via the phone or email.
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