Fake traffic fine or ERP charge by SMS: what to do and how to check if it is real

Fake traffic fine or ERP charge by SMS: what to do and how to check if it is real

"Traffic notice: you have an outstanding fine for a traffic offence. Pay within 24 hours to avoid additional penalties and court action." Or: "Your vehicle has unpaid ERP charges. Settle now at this link." The SMS looks official, the amount is modest, and the threat of extra penalties is real enough to make you click. This is smishing: the link leads to a fake payment page that captures your card details and OTP. The rule: check fines only through official government channels that you open yourself, never through a link in an unexpected SMS.

How does the fake fine scam work?

1. The SMS. It names the Traffic Police, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), a parking authority or "ERP". It mentions an offence, a vehicle or a deadline, but rarely precise details you can verify.
2. The link. A short or official-looking domain, with words like "lta", "erp", "traffic" or "fine" but not ending in the real government domain.
3. The payment page. It copies the look of a government portal and asks for card details, then the OTP, and sometimes your Singpass details.
4. The theft. The scammer uses your details to make much larger payments or add your card to a mobile wallet.

The scam is sent to thousands of numbers, including people who do not own a car. Some of them do, and some have recently driven through an ERP gantry or parked somewhere, so the message seems plausible.

How do I recognise the fake SMS?

• The sender. Singapore government agencies send SMS from the "gov.sg" sender ID, as explained in the IRAS scam advisory. A random mobile number or an overseas number is a red flag.
• The link. Government websites end in .gov.sg. Lookalike domains, extra words or other endings are fake. Be careful even with links in messages that seem official: the safest habit is not to tap any.
• Urgency and threats: "within 24 hours", "warrant of arrest", "vehicle will be clamped".
• Vague details: no vehicle number, location or offence date, or details that do not match anything you did.
• Requests for card details, OTPs or Singpass on a page you reached through an SMS link.

How do I check whether I have a real fine?

1. Do not use the link in the SMS.
2. Open the official channels yourself. For traffic offences issued by the Traffic Police, you can check and pay through SPF e-services. For vehicle-related matters such as ERP charges and LTA offences, use OneMotoring, typing the address yourself. For parking offences, check with the agency that issued the notice.
3. Log in with Singpass on the official site and check whether there is anything outstanding.
4. Look at your post and official notices. Real notices give the vehicle number, offence details and a notice number you can verify.

If nothing shows up in the official system, the SMS was fake.

What do I do if I already entered my card?

1. Call your bank now on the official number on your card or in its app. Ask them to block the card and check for transactions. If you entered online banking details, use your bank's "kill switch" to freeze your accounts.
2. If you entered an OTP, tell your bank specifically.
3. If you entered your Singpass details, change your password immediately and review your Singpass activity.
4. Keep the SMS and screenshots of the page.
5. Make a police report via SPF e-services and follow ScamShield's I've been scammed checklist.

Where do I report it?

Report the SMS through ScamShield, make a police report if you lost money, and report the number in the spam numbers directory. If you are unsure, call the ScamShield Helpline (1799).

Frequently asked questions

I don't own a car. Why did I get a traffic fine SMS? The messages are sent in bulk to random numbers. You were not targeted because of a vehicle.

The message came from "gov.sg". Is it safe? The "gov.sg" sender ID is reserved for government agencies, which makes it a strong sign. Even so, do not pay through a link: check on the official website yourself.

The amount is small. Why bother? Because the goal is your card details and OTP, not the fine.

I really did pass through an ERP gantry without a card. Could it be real? Possibly, but check it on OneMotoring yourself. A real charge will appear there.

In short

Real fines live in official systems you open yourself. Ignore links in SMS, check on SPF e-services or OneMotoring, and if you already paid through a link, call your bank now and make a police report. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory.