Photo: Darren Handschuh

The City of Vernon is warning residents and visitors about phishing scams targeting parking payment apps, including HotSpot, the city’s third-party parking payment provider.

“These scams often appear during online searches, where fraudulent websites and advertisements are crafted to resemble legitimate services. Their goal is to deceive users into providing sensitive information, such as credit card details, through fake payment portals,” the city said in a press release.

"The City of Vernon exclusively uses the HotSpot parking payment app for digital parking transactions. To ensure your safety, officials advise to always download the HotSpot app directly from official sources like the App Store or Google Play."

Beware of ads

The city's news release said scammers often pay for fraudulent ads to appear above genuine search results on Google.

While these websites look convincing, they are designed to steal payment information.

Signs of a Scam

If an app asks for a credit card number upfront without requesting a parking zone or vehicle information, the city warned it is likely a scam. Authentic apps like HotSpot will always request parking-related details first.

In its statement, the City of Vernon said HotSpot prioritizes user security by not storing any credit card details for payment transactions. Instead, the app relies on secure payment processors.

When a user inputs their credit card information, it is sent directly to the payment processor’s system. In the unlikely event of a security breach, no credit card information would be accessible.

“If you encounter a suspicious website or app, report it to the appropriate authorities immediately,” the city said.

For more information about HotSpot’s compliance and enhanced security measures, visit the HotSpot website.

For more information on parking in Vernon, click here.