DO NOT BE SCAMMED! There is an email scam making its way through New York State and even the most aware New Yorker can be fooled.

Warning - If you receive an email with the subject line Traffic Citation it's most likely a scam! I received this exact email Wednesday morning and immediately contacted the New York State Police. This is what they had to say.

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I saw the email appear in my in-box and the subject line caught my attention, Department of Transportation Traffic Citation. My first reaction was disappointment and then I tried to remember doing something wrong. I can't recall doing anything ticket-worthy. What the heck did I do?

I read the email again and realized this is for an alleged running of a red light on Sunday March 17, 2024. Upon closer inspection, this email does not refer to a specific intersection, town or even a specific State.

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As you can see in the image above there are 2 separate links attached to the email. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) this is a scam known as phishing.

Phishing is a scam designed for you to give up personal information. The email is created to look legit on a quick look. Often times the sender will encourage you to click a link like the ones above. Once you do you are sent to a spoofed website where you are asked to enter your credit card numbers, social security number, etc. DO NOT CLICK.

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