Motorists warned vs scams from messages on traffic violation fines

A street sign on No Contact Apprehension Policy (File photo from Grig C. Montegrande / INQUIRER.net) MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday warned motorists against fraudulent text messages and fake websites exploiting the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP). The MMDA said scammers have been sending text messages claiming that the recipients’ alleged traffic fines are about to expire. The scammers were threatening the victims that they will incur a 25-percent late payment penalty if the amount is not settled immediately. Article continues after this advertisement “Please remember [that] MMDA_NCAP is the only legitimate sender of NCAP notifications,” it said, pointing out that “MMDA traffic fines are fixed and do not incur interest or late payment penalties.” As it explained, its real-time NCAP notifications do not contain payment links, do not allow replies to the sender, do not include SMS contact information, and do not display the name of the registered vehicle owner. “To verify whether your vehicle has an NCAP violation, visit the official May Huli Ka website:https://mayhulika.mmda.gov.ph,” it said, as it warned the public against fake websites posing as the official NCAP portal. It advised the public not to click on suspicious links or buttons to avoid falling victim to scams. “Always verify the source of any information and use only MMDA’s official platforms,” it asked the public. Article continues after this advertisement “If you receive a suspicious text message or email, report it immediately through the MMDA Hotline 136 or send a message to the MMDA’s official social media accounts,” it added. /apl Article continues after this advertisement Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.