MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Would you fall for this scam?
You open an email, thinking it’s a ticket from Montgomery County Police. It says you’ve been nabbed by a speed camera. There are only dozens across the most populated county in Maryland.
“This is a notice to inform you that you have been cited with a traffic violation and must pay your citation within 72 hours,” reads the email, followed by a link. “All citations must be paid online through our EasyPay Center.”
The link asks for personal information, said police spokesman Captain C. Thomas Jordan. The email, unlike an actual speed camera ticket, includes no photos of your license plate.
“It’s very generic,” said Jordan. “No jurisdiction uses email to send out tickets—we always send them out by mail.”
Police say only recently came to their attention and they have not yet seen it in great numbers. They tweeted an alert on Friday in order to alert the public, police said.
“Fear is the big factor and people fall for a lot of stuff these days,” said Jordan, underscoring that the phishing email includes fake details of where the spoofed speeding took place.
“If you get an email that is asking for your personal information, give it another hard look and question it,” Jordan said.