Boston Police report that scammers are sending text messages to residents claiming the recipients have unpaid tickets, using the city's official logo but sending from non-617 phone numbers.

The messages contain suspicious elements like incorrectly formatted dollar amounts.

The city reminds residents that legitimate parking tickets must be paid within 21 days through official channels - online, by phone, mail, or in person. City-issued tickets are uploaded to the online system the same day, with handwritten tickets taking slightly longer to process.

Residents can verify legitimate tickets by checking the city's online system or calling the parking department at 617-635-4410.