By Emmanuel Daniji

For many Lagos motorists, a text message claiming they have committed a traffic offence may be enough to cause panic, especially when it comes with a demand for immediate payment.

But the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation has warned that some of these messages are fake and are being used by fraudsters to steal personal and banking information from unsuspecting residents.

The ministry, in a public advisory, urged motorists and members of the public not to click on links contained in unsolicited messages claiming they have been fined for traffic violations. It also warned against sharing personal information or making payments through unofficial third-party platforms.

According to the ministry, the fraudulent messages are designed to look like genuine traffic violation notices. Some of the fake platforms also offer motorists supposed discounts on traffic fines in an attempt to make the scam appear more attractive.

The Lagos government has, however, clarified that it does not offer discounts on statutory traffic penalties through its platforms and that approved traffic fines are fixed.

This means that motorists should be particularly suspicious of any message promising to reduce an alleged traffic fine if payment is made immediately through a link.

The ministry advised motorists who receive such messages to verify the alleged violation independently instead of using the link provided in the message.

For traffic violation checks, motorists can access the Lagos State Traffic Management Solutions portal at tms.lagosstate.gov.ng. The PAYVIS platform at payvis.ng is also listed among the approved platforms for vehicle-related bills and services.

The warning comes at a time when fraudsters are increasingly using official-looking messages and websites to target motorists.

A separate warning issued by the Federal Road Safety Corps this month showed that the problem is not limited to Lagos. FRSC said scammers had circulated messages claiming motorists had new road traffic offences and directed them to fake websites designed to imitate the Corps.

For Lagos residents, the message from the Ministry of Transportation is simple: receiving a traffic fine message does not mean it is genuine.

Motorists are advised to verify first, avoid suspicious links, never submit banking or personal details to unknown platforms and make payments only through confirmed government channels.

The ministry also urged residents to report suspicious messages and websites rather than forwarding them to other motorists.

In a situation where a fake traffic fine can become an opportunity for criminals to access a person’s bank details, a few extra minutes spent checking the source could prevent a much bigger financial loss.