A new phishing scam is targeting residents of a small Pennsylvania town. Residents of Tredyffrin, Pennsylvania, population of about 30,000, have been targeted by phishing emails claiming to be from the local police department. The emails indicate that the recipient was caught speeding on a local road and asks them to provide a payment for the infraction. The email address to which they are asked to send money is not associated with any local police department. In fact, the Tredyffrin Police Department notes that “citations are never emailed or sent in the form of an email attachment.”

According to the local police, “this scam had correct information with respect to speed, time and location, it is highly suspected that a “free mobility or traffic APP” may have been utilized/hacked for this scam.” As phishing scams evolve over time, other regions may be targeted by similar criminal campaigns in the future. As the phishing emails contained accurate first and last names and route information, the level of believability and sophistication is higher in this scam than your typical generic phishing email.

Phishing scams come in all shapes and sizes. Typical phishing scams involve cybercriminals attempting to acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and payment card details, by posting as a trustworthy entity such as a bank or service provider. They can come in the form of text, email, or phone call. As in the case of these fake speeding tickets, sometimes the perpetrators attempt to trick the victim into sending them money directly, foregoing any additional effort on their part.