--- title: "ICBC traffic ticket text scam in BC · Jeyki Security" description: "Got a text from ICBC about an unpaid ticket, a suspended licence or a refund? ICBC says it does not text for payments. What to do if you clicked." url: "https://jeyki.ca/guides/icbc-scam-text-traffic-ticket-bc" --- 1. [Home](https://jeyki.ca/) 2. [Guides](https://jeyki.ca/guides) 3. ICBC text about a traffic ticket or refund? It's a scam Quick answer and steps # ICBC text about a traffic ticket or refund? It's a scam A text that says it is from ICBC and asks you to pay a traffic ticket, avoid a licence suspension or claim a refund through a link is a scam. ICBC says it does not text customers about driving infractions or outstanding debt, and does not ask you to confirm your identity or pay through a link. Delete it, forward it to 7726 first if you like, and check anything real by signing in at icbc.com yourself. Last reviewed October 14, 2026. Written by [Jeyki Security](https://jeyki.ca/about), free to use and print. [Email this to a parent](mailto:?subject=ICBC%20text%20about%20a%20traffic%20ticket%20or%20refund%3F%20It's%20a%20scam&body=Hi%2C%20I%20thought%20this%20free%20guide%20would%20help%20you%3A%0A%0AICBC%20text%20about%20a%20traffic%20ticket%20or%20refund%3F%20It's%20a%20scam%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fjeyki.ca%2Fguides%2Ficbc-scam-text-traffic-ticket-bc%0A%0AIt%20is%20written%20for%20people%20in%20Canada%20and%20takes%20a%20few%20minutes.)Share or copy linkPrint this guide These texts have circulated in BC for years, and police detachments across the province keep warning about new versions. The wording changes: an unpaid traffic ticket, a red-light camera fine, a threat to suspend your registration or licence, a court date you can avoid by paying now, or a refund for overcharging. The ask is always the same: tap a link and enter your card or banking details. ## What ICBC says it does not do - Text you about a driving infraction or an outstanding debt. - Text you to confirm your identity. - Ask you to pay through a link in a text. - Send a refund through a text link or by Interac e-Transfer. The Province of BC does not collect fines through text message links either. ## How to tell it is a scam - **It came by text with a link.** That alone is enough. - **It is urgent.** “Pay within 24 hours or your licence will be suspended” is pressure, not process. - **The link is not icbc.com.** Scam links often look close, with extra words or an unusual ending. Do not tap it to check. - **It came from an overseas or odd number,** or an email address in place of a phone number. ## What to do with the text 1. Do not tap the link and do not reply. 2. Forward it to **7726** (SPAM). It is free and helps your carrier block it. 3. Delete it and block the sender. 4. If you are worried you really owe something, type **icbc.com** into your browser yourself, or call ICBC on a number from its website. ## If you already tapped the link **You only opened the page and typed nothing.** Close it and delete the text. On an up-to-date phone, simply opening a page rarely causes harm. Keep your phone updated. **You entered card details.** Call your card company on the number on the back of the card and ask for a new card. Watch for small charges in the coming weeks. **You entered banking sign-in details.** Call your bank, change your online banking password from the real app or website, and check your Interac e-Transfer contacts for anyone you did not add. **You entered your driver’s licence number, date of birth or address.** Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your local police, and ask Equifax and TransUnion for a fraud alert. The [email hacked checklist](https://jeyki.ca/guides/email-hacked-canadian-checklist) walks through the credit bureau calls. Then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on 1-888-495-8501 or at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca. Our [guide to reporting a scam in Metro Vancouver](https://jeyki.ca/guides/report-a-scam-metro-vancouver) lists every local police non-emergency line. ## Common questions ### Does ICBC send text messages? ICBC has said it does not contact customers by text about driving infractions or outstanding debt, and does not text to confirm your identity or take payment through a link. If a text says otherwise, treat it as a scam and check your account at icbc.com by typing the address yourself. ### The text had my name. Is it real? Not necessarily. Names and phone numbers leak in data breaches and are sold. A text that knows your name and pushes you to pay through a link is still a scam. ### How do I check if I really have a ticket in BC? Type icbc.com into your browser and use its own pages to look up or pay a ticket, or call ICBC on a number from its website. Never use a link or a number from the text. ### I entered my card number. What now? Call your card company now on the number on the back of your card, tell them you entered it on a scam site and ask for a new card. Watch your statement for small test charges. Then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. ### I entered my driver's licence number or other ID. What now? Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your local police non-emergency line, and ask Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada for a free fraud alert so new credit in your name gets extra checks. ## Sources 1. [ICBC warns of text message scam, Global News (2025)](https://globalnews.ca/news/11391653/icbc-warns-text-message-scam-bc) 2. [Campbell River RCMP warn of ICBC text scam, RCMP (September 2025)](https://rcmp.ca/en/bc/campbell-river/news/2025/09/campbell-river-rcmp-warn-icbc-text-scam) 3. [That text message about a traffic ticket? It's fake, ICBC says, CTV News](https://bc.ctvnews.ca/that-text-message-about-a-traffic-ticket-it-s-fake-icbc-says-1.6801009) 4. [Reporting spam text messages to 7726, Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada)](https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en/blogs/reporting-spam-text-messages-7726) 5. [Report cybercrime and fraud, National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System](https://reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca/) ## Related guides - [Vancouver parking ticket texts and QR code stickers: both are scams](https://jeyki.ca/guides/vancouver-parking-ticket-text-qr-code-scam) The City of Vancouver does not text about parking tickets or use QR codes for parking. How to pay safely, and what to do if you scanned one. - [How to spot a scam text message in Canada](https://jeyki.ca/guides/how-to-spot-a-scam-text-message-canada) A short quiz with realistic Canadian examples, then the red flags and what to do. - [How to report a scam in Metro Vancouver: who to call, in order](https://jeyki.ca/guides/report-a-scam-metro-vancouver) Who to call after a scam in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond and across Metro Vancouver: your bank, the Anti-Fraud Centre and local police. ## Clicked the link and not sure what to do? In a post-scam cyber cleanup I secure your phone and accounts with you, check for signs of access and give you a written list of who to call. It is a flat C$179, and I offer a slot within 48 hours. [See how cleanup works](https://jeyki.ca/after-a-scam)