Scammers are targeting motorists in Trafford using a new technique, the council has warned.

Car owners have reported text messages claiming to come from Trafford Council, which are attempting to extort money or personal details from residents of the borough.

The texts ask drivers to pay a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and may warn that non-payment within 28 days will lead to a ‘charge certificate’, claiming this means an increase of 50 per cent to the original fine amount.

But Trafford Council has urged residents to report these messages to the Citizens Advice Bureau, as it does not use texts to enforce parking fines. 

PCNs are issued by physical ticket to vehicles or handed to the driver when they are breaking parking rules that are marked on signs and lines throughout the borough.

The council has also warned drivers not to tap on any links in the message, as this could result in a virus being downloaded or give the scammer access to personal data.

This latest attempt to con unsuspecting motorists out of cash comes just weeks after fake QR codes were stuck to pay-and-display parking machines in Trafford, with similar scams reported all over the North West.

Cllr Rose Thompson, who leads on community safety at Trafford Council said: “Unfortunately, we’re seeing scams which use text message or email all too commonly in the digital world we live in.

"Please be mindful that Trafford Council will not contact you to pay a fine via text message.

“If you receive one of these texts, report it straight away, and help us to prevent more people from unnecessarily losing money to fraudsters.

"If we work together, we can help to tackle scams like these in Trafford and the wider region.”

The council added that the scam has been reported to the National Scams Team, and they will ‘continue to work with Greater Manchester Police to tackle fraudsters’.