FRAUDSTERS are sending fake traffic-fine text messages to motorists, a day after the police launched TraffiTech-GH, the camera-based system that notifies offenders by SMS.
The system went live on Sunday, starting with speeding at crash-prone locations. Notices of fines are sent to vehicle owners' phones.
On Monday morning, an X user shared a screenshot of a text message that arrived at 11:28 a.m. from an ordinary mobile number.
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"Official Traffic Message: Your vehicle has a recorded traffic violation. Check the relevant information through the official portal," it read, followed by a shortened web link.
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"The scammers have started," the user wrote, tagging the Ghana Police Service.
The police say a genuine notice comes only from the sender ID GPS-MTTD. A message from any other sender, or one with a clickable link, "is likely a scam", according to the service's TraffiTech-GH guidance.
The MTTD had said at the launch on Sunday that notices would include a link to view video evidence of the offence.
The police guidance tells motorists to view the evidence themselves at traffitech-ghpay.nib.com.gh, using the ticket number in the notice.
A genuine notice carries a ticket number, the vehicle's registration, the offence, its location, date and time, the amount due and the payment deadline.
Fines are paid at ghana.gov.gh by mobile money or card, through the TraffiTech-GH payment portal, or by dialling 7100#.
"You should never send money to a personal number or private account to pay a TraffiTech-GH fine," the guidance says.
The police ask the public to report suspicious messages on 191 or the toll-free number 18555.
Fake fine texts were circulating before the launch. Rollins Orlu of IT firm Darrel Technologies received one on October 9 from an ordinary mobile number, claiming a mobile speed camera had recorded the recipient's vehicle.
Its link led to a fake DVLA website that demanded GH¢120, or GH¢60 if paid within 48 hours, before asking for card details.
The DVLA warned on October 21 that fraudsters were texting links to fake payment platforms, sometimes with discounts or urgent deadlines. "The DVLA does not offer discounts on fines," it said.
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In February, police warned of a fake electronic traffic violation notice circulating online. The Police Intelligence Directorate later arrested seven suspects over the scam.
Policy analyst Bright Simons, writing on X in October, said "the scammers are already ahead of the system".
