If you received a text message this week telling you that you have an unpaid ticket and need to pay immediately through a link — delete it. It is a scam.
Lethbridge Police issued a public warning on June 22 about a fraudulent text message circulating in the city. The message claims recipients have overdue fines or tickets and directs them to click a link to make payment. The urgency and official-sounding language are deliberate. So is the threat of penalties if you do not pay immediately.
None of it is real.
The Lethbridge Police Service, the City of Lethbridge, and the Government of Alberta do not send text messages requesting payment for fines or tickets. It has never been how legitimate tickets work in Alberta.
How tickets actually work in Alberta
Legitimate traffic tickets including photo radar are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Parking tickets are issued in person and left on the vehicle. Any follow-up communication about overdue fines also comes by mail — not by text message.
If a fine goes unpaid, Alberta Courts and Alberta Registries handle enforcement. Overdue payments are attached to vehicle registration renewals. A Notice of Conviction goes to the registered owner's address. Nobody from the government will ever text you a link and ask you to pay a ticket through a website.
If you actually think you might have an unpaid ticket, check at traffictickets.alberta.ca or visit a local registry office in person.
What these messages look like
The scam has been running across Alberta in various forms for over a year. In Lethbridge specifically this is at least the third time police have warned about it similar alerts went out in January 2025 and July 2025. In previous versions the messages impersonated "Alberta Drive Safe," "Safe Roads Alberta," and the "City of Lethbridge." The most recent version reported in Red Deer threatened licence suspension, demerit points, and prosecution if payment was not made by a specific deadline. One version even included the phrase "please pay immediately before execution to avoid licence" language that appears in no legitimate Alberta enforcement communication.
The scam has also hit Calgary, Olds, Crossfield, and communities across central and southern Alberta. It is not targeted at Lethbridge specifically it is a mass text operation sending the same fraudulent message to as many phone numbers as possible and collecting payment or personal information from whoever clicks.
Why people fall for it
The scam works by hitting you at a moment of doubt. Most people are not entirely sure whether they have an outstanding ticket. Maybe you drove through a photo radar zone a few weeks ago and never thought about it again. Maybe you forgot about a parking ticket. That uncertainty is exactly what the message exploits it arrives at your phone, creates urgency, attaches a threat, and counts on you clicking before you think it through.
The fake websites these links lead to are often convincing. They are designed to look like official government payment portals, sometimes using logos, colour schemes, and language pulled directly from real Alberta government pages. Some versions have referenced real Alberta legislation by name or invented legislation that sounds real to add credibility. The goal is to get your credit card number, your personal information, or both before you realize something is wrong.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received more than 15,000 reports of smishing SMS phishing fraud in 2024 alone. That figure reflects only what gets reported. The actual number of people targeted is significantly higher.
What to do if you receive one
Do not click any link in the message. Do not provide personal, financial, or payment information. Delete the message immediately. Do not respond or engage with the sender.
If you have already clicked the link or entered any personal or financial information, contact your financial institution immediately. Monitor your bank accounts and credit cards for unauthorized transactions. Consider contacting Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada to flag your credit file.
Report the scam even if you did not fall for it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre.ca.
If you suffered a financial loss, contact Lethbridge Police at 403-328-4444.
How to verify a legitimate fine
If you are unsure whether you have any outstanding fines or tickets, verify it directly through official channels only — not through any link sent to you by text.
Check online at traffictickets.alberta.ca for traffic tickets. Contact the City of Lethbridge directly at lethbridge.ca/roads-parking-transit/pay-a-ticket for parking tickets. Visit a local registry office in person to check for any fines attached to your vehicle registration. Contact Alberta Courts at alberta.ca/fine-payment.
Sources:
Lethbridge Police Service, Police warning about unpaid tickets text scam, June 22, 2026 (lethbridgepolice.ca)
Lethbridge Police Service, Photo Radar Text Scams, July 11, 2025 (lethbridgepolice.ca)
Lethbridge Police Service, Police advise citizens to protect against new Smishing text scam, January 16, 2025 (lethbridgepolice.ca)
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Smishing fraud guidance (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca)
