KC police warn of fraudulent emails about red light cameras and speeding tickets

Kansas City police are warning people about fraudulent emails claiming that motorists have been ticketed after a red light camera captured them speeding.

The emails are part of a maleware scam targeting motorists whose GPS information has been leaked, police said.

Police believe the speeding information is generated from an app that allows it to track GPS information captured on a mobile phone. The fraudulent emails contain accurate information on how fast a motorist was driving at the time.

The police no longer issue tickets from red light cameras, and the municipal court does not send emails about citations or court dates, police said. The court only responds to emails initiated by citizens.

Kansas City began its red light camera program in 2009 and for several years had 29 cameras at 17 of the city’s most treacherous intersections.

But the city suspended the program in November 2013 because conflicting court rulings cast doubt on the proper enforcement approach.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled last August that the way Kansas City and other cities had been handling red light tickets conflicted with state law and was invalid. The cities had been treating the violations like parking tickets, without capturing the driver’s photo and deducting points from a violator’s driver’s license.

The high court issued new guidelines to re-establish red light camera programs, but Kansas City has yet to do that.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 11:57 AM with the headline "KC police warn of fraudulent emails about red light cameras and speeding tickets."