1 New Parking Scam for New Jersey to Look Out for

Through the years we've warned about all kinds of clever and not-so-clever scams that many of us have fallen for here in New Jersey.

We've talked about a tax trick where scammers pretend to be from Turbo Tax and tell you there’s something wrong with your tax return. Valentine scams involve dating apps, e-card sites, fake online gift stores, and social media. Puppy scams prey on hopeful dog owners with non-existent pets. There are also several banking scams, all of which, just like all the others, are designed to get your money or personal information.

Related: IRS is Warning All Americans of a New Scam

They contact you by phone, email, text, or any other means to hopefully catch you off guard and you don’t realize it until it’s too late.

I got my daughter’s sorority bill last week from an email I didn’t recognize. There was a link to pay by Intuit Quickbooks. My first thought was “Are you out of your mind, there’s no way I’m clicking on this.” It turned out that it was the Treasurer of the sorority and it was legit, but you can never be too careful.

Just when I feel like I’ve heard of all the tricks, there’s always a new one that I wasn’t aware of. This is one that isn’t popular in New Jersey yet, but if it’s effective, it will be.

Carscoops reported on this new parking ticket scam they say is “sweeping North America. The criminals place fake parking tickets on cars. They print them to look exactly like the official ones with a few alterations. The website listed for payment is not real, but it very close to the real one. For example, this scam was used with a company called. Calgary parking. Its website is calgaryparking.com/tickets, but the bad actors created the site  ParkingTickets.CalgaryParking.com. It’s a subtle change that’s hard to catch, especially if you’re not familiar with the company.  Many unsuspecting people go to the site and enter their personal bank or credit card information to pay the non-existent fine.

The Identity Theft Resource Center says that “fake parking ticket scams have been reported across the country. These tickets appear disturbingly real, with scammers sourcing citation envelopes and handheld printers online. Some even include QR codes on the citations, making it harder for victims to spot fraudulent web addresses.”

I fell for a similar scam on New Year's Eve about ten years ago. I pulled into a parking lot and paid the “attendant” thirty bucks. When I returned to my car I learned that my parking wasn’t paid. The “attendant” was just walking up to people who pulled into the lot and collected cash payments. Fortunately, I didn’t give him any personal information. My mistake was not realizing that I should have gotten a ticket or receipt. Live and learn.

If someone leaves a ticket on your windshield, always research the website or make a phone call to make sure.

Scams are a scary thing, so you should know these new scams that are trending. It's easy to think that you could never fall for a scam, but the truth is that scammers are getting better and better and what they're doing, so it's getting more difficult to stay safe.

Before we get into the new scams that are trending, it's worth reminding ourselves of some age-old scams. Some scam artists just keep doing the same thing, and they keep getting successful results. The IRS has some good information out about tax-related scams and how to avoid them. On the agency's official website, they warn that seniors are often targeted in scams. This was true years ago and is still true. On their site, they warn taxpayers not to fall for scams targeting older adults. "Scammers pretending to be government officials, aim to steal sensitive personal information and money," they state. "By posing as representatives from agencies such as the IRS, or other government agencies, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims."

Another big scam that's been around forever is scammers claiming their services are needed to settle with the IRS and "that their debts can be settled for 'pennies-on-the-dollar' or that there is a limited window of time to resolve tax debts through the Offer in Compromise (OIC) program." The IRS says "these promoters are often referred to as 'OIC Mills.'" In a release, the IRS adds that an Offer in Compromise "mill" will "usually make outlandish claims, frequently in radio and TV ads, about how they can settle a person's tax debt for cheap. In reality, the promoter fees are often excessive, and taxpayers pay the OIC mill to get the same deal they could have received on their own by working directly with the IRS. This takes unnecessary money out of the taxpayer's wallet."

"Too often, we see some unscrupulous promoters mislead taxpayers into thinking they can magically get rid of a tax debt," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. "This is a legitimate IRS program, but there are specific requirements for people to qualify. People desperate for help can make a costly mistake if they clearly don't qualify for the program. Before using an aggressive promoter, we encourage people to review readily available IRS resources to help resolve a tax debt on their own without facing hefty fees."

Now, let's move onto the new scams to avoid.

The AARP warns of a new scam called the "check cooking scam." The AARP states, "In check cooking, thieves take a digital picture of a stolen check and then use commercially available software to alter it." It can look super real, but it's fake. So, how do you stay safe? "Consider using a safer payment method, such as a credit card," they suggest.

The AARP states also warns of a new sweepstakes scam where "instead of trying to get you to pay taxes or other fees in advance to collect the nonexistent prize, the scammers will ask for personal information so that they can validate you and set up the payout." Just say no.

These days, AI scams are big. Experian.com says today, scammers use technology to "write more convincing and natural-sounding phishing emails and text messages." They can also "Impersonate the victim's friend or relative and ask for money as part of a grandparent scam." It's scary stuff. Beware of anything that sounds too crazy, as these can often seem far-fetched, but AI makes them look real.

Experian.com says that student loan forgiveness scams are on the rise. They note that, "scammers may contact you via phone or create phony application sites aimed at stealing your Social Security number or your bank account information." Don't give out your information. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

This one is really wild. With the games on the way, scammers can use the games to scam you. The AARP states, "A scammer hacks someone's email account, and shortly after, all of that person's contacts will receive the same message — something to the effect of, 'Hey guys, I'm over in Paris and my wallet got stolen! Can anyone please help me out by sending gift cards or a Venmo deposit?"

Whether the scam is new or old, the best way to avoid it is to stop and think about what's happening. These scam artists are super good at what they do, but if you just stop for a moment and really think out any actions, you can avoid making a rash decision that could cost you.