Got a text about a Tijuana parking fine? The city says it’s a scam and it never asks you to pay by link

If a text message says you owe a parking fine in Tijuana and offers a link to pay it, don’t tap it. The city government issued an alert on Friday, Oct. 23, about messages that pose as official notices of unpaid fines for illegal parking, Uniradio Informa and Tijuana Última Hora reported.

Otoniel Flores González, the city’s director of information technology, described the scheme as phishing: the sender pretends to be an official agency to steer people to a fake page and collect personal, banking or payment details. The city government does not send text messages, WhatsApp messages or emails to collect payments, so any message that asks you to pay through a link should be treated as suspicious, the city said.

How to spot the fake

• The city’s official portal uses the domain tijuana.gob.mx. Read the full web address before you type anything. According to Tijuana en Línea, an added word, a different ending such as .com or .org, or a shortened link means the page is fake.
• Don’t open the link, don’t pay through it, and don’t share personal or bank details in reply.

If you really do have a ticket

Municipal fines are paid through the city’s own channels. Through Dec. 29, the city is also taking 50% off fines and surcharges for violations committed before Sept. 14, except fines for parking at ramps or in spaces for people with disabilities, and only if the full balance is paid, San Diego Red reported; our earlier story lists the payment windows at the Palacio Municipal and the city’s district offices.