Authorities Warn About Red Light Camera Email Scam

Scams come in many different forms these days including phone calls and emails. A popular scam that's been around for years is back in Yakima. It's the red light citation scam. If you get the email you may want to pump the brakes before you click on any links. Authorities in Yakima say some people are getting the emails that say they've been caught driving through a red light. No red light cameras, however are in operation in any city in the Yakima Valley. That hasn't stopped scammers from sending the emails hoping you'll click on the link and better yet pay the fake citation with your credit/debit information. The email looks legitimate like it comes from local or state government. It says a traffic camera recorded you running a red light and you've received a citation. Police say if it was a real citation you'd receive a letter in the mail along with a picture of your car and your license plate. The citation notification wouldn't come in the form of an email.
The traffic or red light cameras are used primarily on the west side of the state. Joe Rosenlund, the streets and traffic operations Manager in Yakima says the cameras located above lights in Yakima intersections are strictly traffic detectors to monitor traffic for the light to operate correctly. He says the Yakima City Council rejected the use of red light or traffic cameras several years ago. Authorities know some people will click on the link because they get concerned and because the initial email isn't clear where the citation is from. If you do that it could release a bug into your system. The best thing to do say authorities is to ignore and delete the email.