The Minot Police Department is warning residents to be on the lookout for an email scam telling recipients they’ve committed a traffic violation. Law enforcement agencies do not notify citizens of violations via email. The full news release on the story follows below.
— Official News Release, Minot Police Department —
The Minot Police Department would like to warn area residents of an email scam.
Potential victims receive a false “Notice of Traffic Violation” supposedly from the “Department of Motor Vehicles” using a false email address of violations@citygovernment.co.gov. No issuing jurisdiction or law enforcement agency is identified in the notice.
The email recipient is made aware of an alleged traffic violation, where the violation “approximately occurred” and that payment must be received within 72 hours. The recipient is told to not mail in money, rather “All citations must be paid online through our EasyPay Center” with a link provided.
There is also another link provided where the recipient may choose to contest the violation, however when clicked on, the link does not go anywhere.
No law enforcement agency or court in North Dakota notifies traffic defendants of offenses via email. North Dakota Law Enforcement Officers issuing traffic summonses do so in person, explain the offense, explain options on how to pay or contest the violation, and provide the defendant an envelope to mail the fee to the court.
