Fake parking violation / parking fine payment phishing — non-government sender impersonates a municipal parking authority or enforcement department claiming an unpaid parking citation that will incur late fees, vehicle boot/impound, or license plate/registration suspension unless paid immediately via a fraudulent portal

Phishing emails impersonating municipal parking authorities, city enforcement departments, or parking management companies, claiming the recipient's vehicle has an unpaid parking citation/violation that will incur late fees, vehicle boot/impound, or license plate/registration suspension unless paid immediately via a linked fraudulent payment portal. Modeled on the FTC and FBI joint advisory (2024) documenting a wave of "parking ticket phishing" targeting US drivers via email and SMS. Key facts: (1) Real parking enforcement agencies in the US mail physical citations as the primary legal notice — unsolicited email-only parking ticket notices are almost always fraudulent; (2) Legitimate online parking payment portals are accessed through official city .gov domains, never via links in cold emails; (3) This scam pattern closely parallels the toll-road phishing surge of 2024 — attackers recycle the same infrastructure; (4) The FTC received 42,000+ reports of fake parking fine messages in 2023, with an average loss of $98 per victim (card-not-present fraud). Warning signs: email from non-.gov domain claiming a parking violation, "pay within 24/48 hours" urgency framing, late fee or vehicle-tow threats, link to an external payment portal that is not the official city website.