We are aware of a number of email phishing scams that are in circulation stating that a penalty charge notice has been issued and if not paid, the person will be taken to court.
The email has been issued in various formats.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not issue Penalty Charge Notices.
Fraudsters will copy the HMCTS logo and attempt to make the notice look genuine.
Any genuine email from HMCTS will be sent from an @justice.gov.uk email address. If in doubt, hover over the email address to see the true identity. If you receive an email on a phone, you can check the address by clicking on ‘display name’.
There are a number of things that can be checked to test the authenticity of a document or email.
Scammers will not know your name so it will show as ‘Dear Customer’.
Odd ‘spe11ings’ or ‘cApitALs’ are used in the subject box to get through spam filters.
Spelling errors and different font sizes within the email body or the document can indicate that the email is not genuine.
If you receive an email:
- do not reply
- do not follow the link to pay
- contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or email the fraud unit
