If you get a parking ticket in this California city, read the fine print, police warn

Always read the fine print.

A person who showed up to the Alameda Police Department in Northern California to cover a parking ticket from last month was told by a perceptive records clerk that there was no need to pay for the ticket — because the citation was a fraud, according to police.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Alameda police said they were “warning the public about the possibility of fake parking citations being ‘issued’ around town.”

Officers shared a picture of the prank ticket, which was dated Dec. 10 and said: “Please don’t park in the no parking area.”

“The fraudulent citation had several distinct inconsistencies — most notably the appearance and the fact that the ticket does not appear to be issued by the City of Alameda,” police said.

There were more obvious giveaways on the ticket, too.

First, the ticket lacked Alameda municipal codes, police said.

But perhaps more glaringly, the fine print on the ticket admitted the whole thing was a good-humored hoax, reading: “Finally, this ticket was issued by a concerned citizen and is not an actual fine. This ticket is for entertainment purposes only.”

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Police shared images of a real ticket next to the fake one to show the public how to tell the difference.

On the fake ticket, the purported fine was $100, the photo shows.

“The tickets do not appear as an attempt to defraud anyone and should be disregarded if one appears on your windshield, especially if you are legally parked,” police said.