Vicksburg Police warn of traffic ticket scam

Published 9:46 pm Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Vicksburg Police are warning people about a traffic ticket scam, in which callers tell people they owe fines for a traffic violation, Police Chief Walter Armstrong said.

Armstrong said the scam involves a person claiming to be a Vicksburg Police officer calling a resident and telling them they were caught on a camera downtown running a stop sign in the city and telling them they have to pay a fine. The amount was unspecified.

“The callers have the technology to make the call look on a caller ID that it is coming from the Vicksburg Police Department,” Armstrong said, adding police have already received one call from a resident who was contacted about running a stop sign. “While the city has cameras downtown for security, we are not using cameras for traffic control or to catch people violating the traffic laws and we don’t plan on using them.”

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

He said anyone who receives a phone call telling them they owe a fine should call the police department at 601-636-1125, or court services at 601-631-3742.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

email author More by John