Fraudsters target B.C. residents with fake texts, fake government website [Video]

The province and a number of police services in British Columbia are warning people to beware of a new text scam that directs potential victims to an exact replica of a government website where people can pay fees with credit cards.

The scheme starts with a text message informing the intended target they’ve been caught committing a traffic violation.

“Our automated speeding system has caught your vehicle doing 46 km/h in a 30km/h zone,” one such text says before directing people to click a link to pay a fine.

According to the province, the link directs people to a website that is an exact replica of the PayBC website, a legitimate government page where people can pay various provincial fees.

The fraudulent page looks identical to the real page and that’s where scammers can steal credit card details from unsuspecting victims.

There are red light cameras throughout B.C. and some of …