A series of fraudulent text messages impersonating the parking payment service RingGo are circulating, attempting to deceive drivers into visiting fake websites and surrendering sensitive information. The scam messages typically claim that a billing or routine review has identified an outstanding parking charge and urge immediate payment to avoid further financial consequences or administrative action.
According to Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, the fraudulent texts include links that direct users to counterfeit websites closely mimicking the legitimate RingGo platform. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled scammers to create increasingly convincing replicas of authentic sites. When users enter their username, password, or card details on these fake pages, the information is transmitted directly to criminal organizations, who can either drain accounts or sell the stolen personal data.
At least two variations of the scam message are currently in circulation, with nearly identical language. Both versions ask recipients to visit the fraudulent site and enter their vehicle registration number. The links begin with the word “ringgo” but are followed by unrelated words that do not correspond to the legitimate RingGo website. To activate the link, users are prompted to reply with the letter “Y” to the text message.
Security experts have identified several telltale indicators of the fraud. Some messages contain spelling errors, such as “RingGo Customer Servicess,” while the web addresses bear no resemblance to the genuine RingGo domain. Serpil Hall, a security expert from Datos Insights, notes that the scammers deliberately engineer their approach for iPhone users, exploiting how Apple’s iMessage service handles links from unknown senders. The selection of RingGo as the target is intentional, as parking payment services represent plausible notifications to most drivers, involve relatively small sums unlikely to trigger immediate suspicion, and carry genuine consequences for ignoring the message.
RingGo has advised anyone receiving such messages to delete them immediately without clicking any links. Customers can verify their parking history directly through the official RingGo app or website. The National Cyber Security Centre can be notified of suspicious texts by forwarding them to 7726. Those who have already clicked fraudulent links and entered financial information should contact their banks immediately and change their passwords.
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