Security experts are warning about a scam text message impersonating the parking app RingGo, which falsely claims recipients owe outstanding parking charges. The messages, sent from an unverified sender, urge people to click a link and pay immediately by threatening "administrative action" if the debt is not settled, exploiting the plausibility of the claim since many drivers use multiple parking apps and cannot always recall which they have used.

The texts direct victims to a convincing fake RingGo website, created using AI, where entering payment or login details hands the information straight to criminals who can drain accounts or sell the data. iPhone users are asked to reply "Y" to the message, which tricks Apple's iMessage into unlocking a disabled link from an unknown sender. Warning signs include poor spelling (such as "Customer Servicess"), a web address unrelated to RingGo's genuine site, and links that fail to open properly; the texts examined by the Guardian originated from a Moroccan country code.