Police in Santa Cruz, California, say they have caught a 19-year-old who is suspected of having attempted to scam drivers in the city with fraudulent parking tickets. Unfortunately, it remains unknown how many fake citations the suspect handed out.
Santa Cruz Police posted photos of a fake ticket next to a real one late last week in order to warn drivers about the scam, and to help them identify if they were a victim of this crime. The force says it received reports of fraudulent tickets being issued to vehicles in the beach area on the evening of December 21.
Apparently the person behind the crime was less than a master criminal, though, because the police caught their 19-year-old suspect on the same day that they received their first reports of the crime. The suspect, Damian Vela, admitted to handing the parking tickets out, but denied receiving payment, police say.
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The tickets, which look like they were placed in a handmade envelope, look to be about the size of a receipt and feature the headline “Santa Cruz Parking Pay” printed in what appears to be the Comic Sans font, which is bracketed by two palm trees.
The tickets also feature a QR code that links to a website where victims of the scam are encouraged to pay off their fraudulent citation. The example featured in the image shared by Santa Cruz Police carries a “fine” of $42. The police say they are not yet aware of how many people, if any, paid this false fine.
Mr. Vela was booked into jail for “unlawful use of a computer system” and “attempted fraud,” police say. Detectives are asking for any other drivers who received these false tickets to reach out to them. They also say that any drivers who receive a ticket can call the City of Santa Cruz Parking Office for confirmation of its validity.