Rubaiya Karim
The Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) has issued a warning about a text message scam targeting local residents. Scammers are impersonating law enforcement officials to send fraudulent messages with “parking ticket” alerts to extort funds. In a post published on June 17, 2025, SBPD emphasized that the department never issues parking ticket citations through text messages.
Highlights
- On June 17, SBPD issued a warning via their Instagram account that scammers are sending text messages about unpaid parking tickets.
- The messages falsely claim that nonpayment could lead to arrest.
- SBPD reiterated that it will never issue citations or demand payment through text messages.
Santa Barbara Police Issues Official Warning on Instagram
In a June 17 post on their Instagram account, Santa Barbara PD stated, “Please remember, the Santa Barbara Police Department will never send you texts regarding unpaid parking citations. Do not click on any links included in these text messages.”
This scam has been reported in other parts of California as well. SBPD has requested the general public to remain informed and cautious, especially with regard to any unexpected payment requests that may arrive via text message.
A similar ploy was also noted in Santa Cruz recently, where fraudulent texts directed victims to QR-code-based payment sites. The police in Santa Barbara have asked the people of the county to remain vigilant and avoid clicking links or following instructions received through any messages from suspicious sources.
In case one becomes a victim of such a scam, it is wise to report it to the SBPD as well as the phone carrier. Residents can remain informed about scam alerts through the SBPD Instagram account and the official website.
It’s amazing how many con artists are condensed into such a small area in this town.
You have to be alert all the time.
Nothing local about it, except the choice of targets.
Actually, they’ve mostly decamped for DC and jobs in the executive branch.