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Which? has logged numerous reports of a fake RingGo parking fine text, sent at scale, that directs drivers to a page collecting payment and vehicle details.
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Which?According to Which?, a text message claiming to be from the parking app RingGo has been reaching huge numbers of drivers, warning of an unpaid parking balance and threatening fines within 24 hours. The message also warns the recipient will be blocked from using RingGo unless they pay, a threat designed to worry anyone who relies on the app regularly.
The text includes a link asking the driver to enter their vehicle registration number and make a payment. Which? senior researcher Faye Lipson says the message is perfectly pitched, because so many people have used RingGo or a similar app at some point, so the claim sounds routine rather than suspicious.
The scam depends on speed, not sophistication. It sets a 24-hour deadline and pairs it with a penalty that feels personal, fines, plus being locked out of an app the person uses regularly. That combination is built to stop someone checking calmly. Lipson notes that fraudsters bank on people having busy lives and little time to scrutinise claims. The scam works by borrowing urgency from a real inconvenience, not by inventing an unbelievable one.
RingGo itself has warned of what it calls a wave of fake messages targeting drivers by pretending to be from the company, and now shows a banner about the scam on its own website. Which? says it has had numerous reports of different versions of the text, which points to a message sent out at scale rather than aimed at anyone in particular.
The link is the mechanism, not the warning. It leads to a page designed to collect a vehicle registration number and payment details, and some versions lead to copycat websites built to look convincing. Once payment details are entered, the immediate loss is financial. Lipson also points to a second risk: the personal information collected can be used for identity theft, to buy goods and services in someone's name, or to set up further scams down the line. The text is not really asking for a parking payment. It is asking for enough personal and financial detail to be used again elsewhere.
Which? says the giveaway, if someone stops to look, is the link itself, described as slightly dodgy-looking rather than an exact copy of a genuine address.
Anyone unsure whether they owe RingGo money can check directly, without touching the link. Which? advises going straight to the RingGo app or entering myringgo.co.uk in a browser to see if there is an outstanding balance. Do not reply to the text. Report it by forwarding it to 7726, then delete it. Scam websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre. Anyone who has already shared payment or personal details via the link should contact their bank immediately and change any relevant passwords.
