Service Ontario Speed Camera Text Scam | Prevention Tips

Scammers text people pretending to be ServiceOntario (or another government agency) saying you have a speed‑camera ticket, fine, or “outstanding fee” and try to make you click a link or pay immediately.

Below is a compact, no‑nonsense guide: how to spot it, what to do now, how to report it, and exact wording you can use.

How the scam works

• You get an SMS saying something like: “ServiceOntario: You have an unpaid speed camera fine. Pay now: [short link]” or “Click here to view your ticket”.

• The link goes to a fake payment page or asks for personal/banking info.

• Sometimes they ask you to pay by Interac e‑Transfer, cryptocurrency, gift card, or by entering card details on a bogus site.

• They may spoof the sender so it looks official.

How to spot a fake ServiceOntario / speed‑camera text

• The message pressure‑tells you to pay immediately or face arrest.

• It includes a shortened or suspicious domain (bit.ly, unusual subdomain, misspelled “serviceontario” like service‑ontario.xyz).

• It asks for SIN, full banking login, one‑time SMS codes, or gift‑card codes.

• You weren’t expecting a ticket or you don’t recognize the plate/time/location described.

• Poor spelling/grammar or unusual formatting.

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What to do right away (if you receive one)

1. Don’t click any links.

2. Don’t reply or provide any codes, payment, or personal information.

3. Save the message (screenshot & keep the original SMS) for reporting.

4. Block the number on your phone.

5. Check your bank/credit cards if you clicked or entered info — contact your bank immediately to freeze or dispute charges.

6. If you entered account passwords, change those passwords now and enable 2FA.

How to verify a real ticket

• Official Ontario government pages are on the serviceontario.ca domain or municipal websites (e.g., city traffic/ticket pages).

• Real automated enforcement (speed camera) or parking tickets will usually arrive by mail with clear references to the municipality and an official payment portal — not a random SMS.

• If unsure, go directly to the official site by typing the known address (e.g., https://www.serviceontario.ca) or call your municipality’s traffic/ticket office (find the number on the municipal website).

How to report the scam

• Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre — file a report online at: antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca (their site has reporting forms and guidance).

• Forward the SMS to your carrier’s spam number (e.g., in Canada you can forward phishing SMS to 7726 (SPAM)) — this helps the carrier block and investigate.

• Report to ServiceOntario / municipal police: use contact info on serviceontario.ca or your city’s website and tell them the message is impersonating them.

• File a police report if you lost money or gave personal info — this helps banks and credit bureaus investigate fraud.

What to do if you already paid or gave info

• If you paid: contact your bank/credit card immediately — request a charge dispute or stop payment and tell them it was fraud. If you paid by Interac e‑Transfer, contact your bank; ask if the payment can be recalled.

• If you gave SIN or identity info: consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with Equifax/TransUnion Canada and monitor your CRA account for suspicious activity.

• If you shared passwords or 2FA codes: change passwords and revoke sessions; enable an authenticator app (not SMS) for critical accounts.

• Document everything and include timestamps, screenshots, and the number/link used in your police and Anti‑Fraud Centre reports.

Sample text to send to your bank / police / ServiceOntario

Use this when reporting:

I received an SMS impersonating ServiceOntario claiming I have an unpaid speed‑camera fine and asking me to pay at [link]. I did / did not click the link. The sender number is [phone number], received at [date & time]. Please advise next steps.

Prevention tips going forward

• Never pay fines or give sensitive info from a link in an unsolicited SMS — always use the official website or call the official number.

• Bookmark your municipality’s ticket/payment page and use only that.

• Use SMS spam filters, and report phishing texts right away (forward to 7726).

• Use unique passwords and 2‑factor auth (prefer app tokens) for accounts with financial info.