| Sourced from 4 independent sources · no points in dispute |
The StarPhoenix, Discover Weyburn, Discover Estevan, and Leader-Post
Every key fact in this report is confirmed by more than one independent source.
10 key facts · 10 corroborated · none disputed
Allegations described here are not proven in court unless stated.
A text message that looks official, sounds urgent and claims to come from a Saskatchewan court is not what it appears to be, police say.
Police in Saskatchewan are warning residents about fraudulent texts claiming recipients have unpaid or outstanding traffic citations. The messages push people to click a link to deal with the supposed citation or make an online payment.
Fake court texts reported
Saskatchewan RCMP said the messages falsely identify the sender as the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan.
“The messages claim that recipients have an outstanding traffic citation, and direct individuals to click a link and submit payment online, falsely identifying the sender as the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan,” RCMP said in a statement included in recent reporting.
Police said recent reports of the scam have been clustered in the Indian Head and Carnduff areas. RCMP also said the fraudulent messages came from phone numbers using a “+21” area code.
“Please note that these messages are not legitimate,” RCMP said.
The warning is straightforward: a message saying you owe money for a traffic citation may be designed to panic you into acting before you have time to think.
Threats and urgent links
The scam texts do not just ask for payment. Some messages threaten legal consequences, including arrest, if recipients do not respond or appear in court.
That combination of urgency, legal language and a payment link is a hallmark of the warning police are now trying to spread. The texts direct recipients to click a link to resolve the alleged citation, but police are advising people not to click.
Regina police, in a separate warning included in the source reporting, put it plainly: “Legitimate government agencies will not ask you to resolve legal matters through unsolicited text messages.”
Police are warning people to be cautious around unexpected messages that claim a fine is owed, refer to court or threaten legal action. The advice is especially clear when the message asks for money, personal information or financial information.
What police say to do
Police advised people not to click links, respond to the messages, send money or provide personal or financial information.
They also advised recipients to keep records of the messages and block the sender where possible. Keeping a record can help if a person later reports the attempt to police or a fraud reporting agency.
For many people, the hardest part of dealing with a scam text is deciding whether to ignore it or investigate it. Police say anyone who believes they were victimized or targeted by the scam should contact police.
That applies not only to people who lost money, but also to those who think someone tried to defraud them.
Reporting suspicious messages
Suspicious scam messages can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by phone at 1-888-495-8501 or through its online reporting system.
The practical steps are simple: do not click, do not reply, do not pay, do not share information, keep the message, block the sender if possible and report concerns to police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
For Saskatchewan residents receiving a sudden text about an unpaid traffic citation, police say the message itself is the warning sign.
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