The City of Vernon hopes to reel in potential parking scammers.
The city is alerting residents and visitors to phishing scams targeting parking payment apps, including HotSpot, the city91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s third-party parking payment provider.
Phishing, according to the Oxford Dictionary online is the "fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers."
The city says these scams often appear during online searches, where fraudulent websites and advertisements are crafted to resemble legitimate services.
"Their goal is to deceive users into providing sensitive information, such as credit card details, through fake payment portals."
Key Points to Stay Safe:
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ¢ Official Apps Only:
The City of Vernon exclusively uses the HotSpot parking payment app for digital parking transactions. To ensure your safety, always download the HotSpot app directly from official sources like the or .
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ¢ Beware of Ads:
Scammers often pay for fraudulent ads to appear above genuine search results on Google. These websites may look convincing but are designed to steal payment information.
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ¢ Signs of a Scam:
If an app asks for a credit card number upfront without requesting your parking zone or vehicle information, it is likely a scam. Authentic apps like HotSpot will always request parking-related details first.
" prioritizes user security by not storing any credit card details for payment transactions," the city advises. "Instead, the app relies on secure payment processors. When a user inputs their credit card information, it is sent directly to the payment processor91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s system. In the unlikely event of a security breach, no credit card information would be accessible."
If you encounter a suspicious website or app, report it to the appropriate authorities immediately.
For more information about HotSpot91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s compliance and enhanced security measures, visit the HotSpot (htsp.ca). For more information on parking in Vernon, visit .
