Breathe easy and put down your credit card—you didn’t just get a speeding ticket unless, well, you did, likely after failing to talk your way out of it with your friendly neighbourhood police officer.

Yesterday, RCMP in Kelowna issued a news release stating that there’s a new scam to worry about if you happen to own a cellphone.

The scam, which has started arriving in the text messages of British Columbians, reads—with minor variations—as follows:

BRITISH COLUMBIA FINES: Your vehicle was detected going 12 km/h over the speed limit of a school zone. To avoid license suspension and overcharge, it is imperative to pay your fine before December 04...

The RCMP news release went on to note that police don’t send speeding tickets by text in B.C. So, should you be caught for doing 120km/h in the alley behind Lord Nelson Elementary School, or road-racing past Pigeon Park in the Downtown Eastside, you’re going to either get a stern roadside lecture from the traffic fuzz, or an unpleasant surprise in the mail.

The official statement included this: “Drivers caught on automated enforcement cameras at intersections, either for speeding or running a light, are only........

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