Infraction notice: Be aware of this text scam

Westmount Public Safety is currently receiving a growing number of calls regarding a phishing scam being sent over text message. This scam attempts to access your personal information by alerting you to supposed unpaid parking or road traffic violations, and instructing you to make a payment immediately via a URL provided in the message. The URL opens a webpage where you are instructed to provide personal information such as your name, address and banking details.

Be advised that the City of Westmount, Westmount Public Safety, Ville de Montréal and the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) will never contact you by text message to request a payment. When in doubt, do not hesitate to contact Public Safety to help verify the validity of a message, or to signal a potential scam.

Help stop scams by alerting the relevant authorities. Call your local police office, or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam where you have provided your banking details, contact your financial institution as soon as possible to alert them to your situation.

Learn about other current scams and how to protect yourself.