South African motorists are being warned about a new phishing scam that is exploiting drivers through fake traffic fine notifications, with fraudsters impersonating PayCity, the trusted online payment platform.
Fake Traffic Fine Notifications Circulating
PayCity, which enables South Africans to pay traffic fines, settle municipal accounts, and purchase prepaid utilities, issued an alert after identifying several cases of phishing attempts. Criminals are sending out fake traffic fine messages designed to trick users into clicking on fraudulent payment links.
In a statement, PayCity stressed that while it does send legitimate notifications through email, SMS, and WhatsApp, all official payment links will always point to the paycity.co.za domain. Any communication directing users elsewhere should be treated as unsafe.
“If the communication or payment link does not point to the paycity.co.za domain, it is not safe to use,” the company cautioned.
Users who receive suspicious emails can forward them to support@paycity.co.za for verification.
Previous Warning from RTMC and Natis
This warning comes shortly after the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) reminded the public that the National Traffic Information System (Natis) never requests fine payments via email. Official Natis communications will always include vehicle details and redirect users to the secure Natis platform.
Earlier this year, drivers were targeted with scam emails claiming they owed R210 in fines, later inflated to R420 for “late payment,” with fraudsters even promising an “interest refund” for quick settlement.
Concerns Over Traffic Fine Targets
At the same time, controversy is brewing around how fines are enforced. The Democratic Alliance (DA) recently accused the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) of setting a R7,000 daily traffic fine collection target for officers.
Michael Sun, DA spokesperson for community safety, argued that this practice turns law enforcement into a revenue machine rather than a public safety service. He warned that officers are incentivised to issue fines rather than focusing on traffic management and crime prevention.
The JMPD, however, rejected these claims, insisting that its roadblocks and enforcement operations are solely aimed at improving road safety.
How Drivers Can Protect Themselves
Motorists are advised to:
- Always verify traffic fine notifications.
- Only make payments through the official paycity.co.za domain.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links.
- Report doubtful emails to support@paycity.co.za.
With scams becoming more sophisticated, vigilance is essential to avoid falling victim to criminals exploiting trusted platforms.
Related article: New Launch Date Announced for South Africa’s Driver’s Licence Demerit System
