Fraudulent text messages claiming to be from parking app RingGo are circulating, warning recipients of outstanding parking charges and requesting payment through provided links. The messages use language about billing reviews and threaten further financial charges or administrative action to pressure victims into responding quickly. Security experts warn that the links direct users to counterfeit websites that closely mirror the legitimate RingGo site, potentially allowing criminals to capture login credentials and financial information.
Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, notes that advances in artificial intelligence have enabled scammers to create convincing replicas of authentic websites. Multiple versions of the scam message are in circulation, with slightly different wording but similar tactics. Some texts are signed with misspellings, such as “RingGo Customer Servicess,” which serve as red flags. The web addresses in the links bear no resemblance to the official RingGo site, and some links may not function properly.
Serpil Hall, a security expert from Datos Insights, explains that the non-functional links are intentionally engineered for iPhone users. Apple’s iMessage service blocks links from unknown senders, but once a recipient replies to the message—even with a single letter—the sender is reclassified as known and the link becomes active. Hall notes that RingGo was chosen as the target brand because parking notifications seem plausible to most drivers, the claimed amounts are small enough to avoid immediate skepticism, and there is genuine perceived consequence to ignoring such messages.
The text messages received by news organizations originate from a Morocco country code, though security experts indicate the criminals are likely not based there and are routing messages through low-cost channels to avoid detection. Both messages contained Apple’s “report spam” button at the bottom. RingGo officials advise recipients to delete such messages without clicking any links and to verify parking history through the official app or website. Those who have already clicked suspicious links and entered financial details should immediately contact their bank, report the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre by texting 7726, and change their passwords.
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