How to Spot a Fake Penalty Charge Notice

Did you receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and you’re not sure if it’s real? We’re here to help. Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website for advice on fines and parking tickets.

In this guide, we’re going to assist you in understanding:

How to spot a fake Penalty Charge Notice.
Ways to challenge the charge if you think it’s not right.
Times when you might not need to pay.
What could occur if you decide not to pay.

Churchill Motor Insurance reports that in 2022, UK councils issued 19,631 parking fines every day – a 12% increase from the previous year.¹ So rest assured, you’re not alone.

We have been in your shoes, and we’re here to help you understand the details. Let’s get started!

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Most Appeals Succeed

In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.

It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.

Not only did I save £50 on solicitor feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.

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*Around 35,000 people dispute their tickets each year with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, and a striking 64% of those appeals are successful, so it’s well worth a try.

What is a fake Penalty Charge Notice?

A fake Penalty Charge Notice could refer to a scammer trying to trick motorists into thinking they have received a Penalty Charge Notice from a council.

It might also be when a private parking company issues a “Penalty Charge Notice”, which should be called a Parking Charge Notice.

I explain this in further detail below…

#1: A fake Penalty Charge Notice from a scammer

A fake Penalty Charge Notice from a scammer is when someone issues you with a Penalty Charge Notice and instructions to pay, but they are not representing an authority that can issue these fines.

They are issuing the fake PCN to make you pay to their own bank account, and therefore to rob you of your money.

A fake Penalty Charge Notice could be:

Sent in an email
Sent in the post
Left on your windscreen

We’ll return to these different methods of issuing fake Penalty Charge Notices later.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

#2: A Penalty Charge Notice from a private company

You might also get a Penalty Charge Notice from a private car park operator.

These companies are supposed to issue a different type of parking ticket called a Parking Charge Notice.

This name itself sounds very much like a Penalty Charge Notice.

And it’s probably done on purpose to make drivers think they have received the much more serious Penalty Charge Notice.

From the outset, this is rather deceptive from these companies.

However, some go one step further and tweak the name of their private parking fine to sound exactly like a Penalty Charge Notice, which could then be considered a fake Penalty Charge Notice.

It’s not just fake Penalty Charge Notices that motorists are sent, there are plenty of fake Parking Charge Notices as the message below explains.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Some of the private parking operators are not so blatant, but will still try to confuse or deceive. For example, they might call their parking ticket a “Penalty Parking Charge Notice”.

Successful Appeal Case Study

Situation

Initial Fine	£100
Additional Fees	£171
Total Fine	£271

The Appeal Process

Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.

Total Fine	£271
Cost of legal advice	£5

JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.

Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.

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How to spot a fake Penalty Charge Notice

I have put together some key information below, which explains how to spot fake Penalty Charge Notices that are issued in these different ways.

Fake Penalty Charge Notices by email

It’s easy to spot a fake Penalty Charge Notice over email because these fines are never sent by email.

There is one particular fake PCN email that states it’s from the HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). The email includes a link where you can pay.

If you receive these emails you must ignore it completely, and don’t click on the link!

Some of the additional ways you can tell this is fake is by looking at the spellings of some words.

There are spelling mistakes and the sender doesn’t have the correct email, which should end in @justice.gov.uk – but it doesn’t.

Report this scam by forwarding the email to [email protected].

Fake Penalty Charge Notices in the post

You can receive a fake Penalty Charge Notice in the post, which could be effective for scammers because some Penalty Charges are sent this way.

This can feel more like a personal attack because the sender has probably identified your car registration and other details to make it look real.

The best way to check if it’s real or not is to contact the supposed issuing authority, such as the local council.

Don’t use the contact details on the PCN you received, but look up their contact information from their official website and call them up.

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Fake Penalty Charge Notices on your windscreen

A fake Penalty Charge Notice could be placed on your windscreen by someone pretending to work for the council, hoping you will transfer funds to the bank account on the notice.

You can again verify its authenticity by getting the contact details of the supposed issuer independently and then verifying the PCN is real with them directly.

Fake Penalty Charge Notice pranks

You can even buy fake Penalty Charge Notice stickers from some of the most visited online retailers, including Etsy and Amazon.

These stickers don’t have payment instructions and are predominantly used by people wanting to joke around with friends.

But they could be used by scammers as well, so keep your eyes peeled.

One instance of someone using these prank stickers nearly caused a woman to have a miscarriage.

A word on fake Parking Charge Notices too!

There are even reports of scammers trying to impersonate private parking companies and get people to pay them fake Parking Charge Notice fines.

One story reported by The Sun told of a couple returning to their vehicle and finding a note pretending to be a Parking Charge Notice from a parking company.

This scam wasn’t very sophisticated as the note didn’t look real at all.

But it reminds us to be aware of fake Parking Charge Notices as well!

Check whether a parking company is accredited

If you think a Parking Charge Notice is fake, I suggest you go online and check whether the alleged issuer is accredited and then contact the Trade Association or the operator directly.

That way, you can find out whether the Parking Charge Notice is genuine.

Is a Penalty Charge Notice legally enforceable?

Yes, a Penalty Charge Notice is legally enforceable.

If you don’t deal with the PCN by the deadline, the local council can take further action, starting by increasing the fine amount by 50%.

The difference between a Penalty Charge Notice and Parking Charge Notice

A Penalty Charge Notice is sent by local authorities and transport groups. They must be paid or appealed successfully, or these groups can easily take legal action to get the money back.

A private parking ticket isn’t as easily enforceable.

They are not classified as real fines but more like invoices that could be contested in court.

Therefore, they want drivers to think their private parking fines are more serious and try to confuse drivers into thinking they’ve received a Penalty Charge Notice instead.

Do you legally have to pay private parking fines?

Private parking tickets are not considered fines.

They are equal to a business sending an invoice, and if that invoice isn’t paid, the business might take court action to get the money it believes it’s owed.

This is the position of private parking companies.

They might not be as easy to enforce payment compared to a Penalty Charge Notice, but the private car park operator could still take court action.

Provided they adhered to industry regulations, laws and operating rules.

Appeal Process Steps

You only legally have to pay for private parking tickets if you’re in the wrong. Remember, you can appeal. Here’s the process to do so.

Process:	Steps you should take:
When you receive the ticket…	You should gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal claim and prove that the ticket was unfairly issued.
If you were given the ticket in person/attached to your car…	You must make an informal appeal (sent to the local authority/council that issued the PCN) within 14 days. This should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If it was posted to you…	You will be given 21 days to submit an informal appeal (from the day you received the letter). Your informal appeal should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If the informal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice to Owner and will have 28 days to respond to this with a formal appeal. You can conduct the formal appeal online or via paper form. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal can send you one of these forms.
If the formal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice of Rejection. From here, you are free to challenge the council’s verdict at an independent tribunal.
If the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal…	You should pay the ticket within 28 days of the tribunal rejecting your appeal. If you don’t, the fine will be increased by 50%. If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, you should contact Citizens Advice or another debt charity.

It’s important to keep in mind that you can only be made to pay with court action.

Need info on real Penalty Charge Notices?

If your Penalty Charge Notice is real and you need advice or guidance on the appeals process, why not read my comprehensive Penalty Charge Notice guide?

The page is packed with easy-to-read tips and information. Arm yourself with MoneyNerd’s support now!