Fines SA has warned motorists about a rise in fraudulent SMS messages claiming recipients have unpaid traffic fines. The scam messages urge immediate payment and often include links to fake websites designed to resemble official municipal or traffic fine platforms. Barry Berman, CEO of Fines SA, said there has been a surge in motorists contacting the organisation to verify whether such messages are legitimate. “These SMSs are made to look authentic and are intended to create urgency and panic,” Berman said. “Once a motorist clicks the link and makes a payment on an unsafe site, the money is lost and no fine is actually paid.” In these scams, motorists typically receive an SMS or WhatsApp message warning of an outstanding fine or imminent penalties. The link provided leads to a cloned website that closely resembles an official payment platform. A key red flag is that these links do not direct users to www.finessa.co.za, which is Fines SA’s only official website. Fines SA is urging motorists to exercise caution and independently verify any fine-related messages before taking action. Payments should only be made through secure, verified… “Beware: Fraudsters sending fake traffic fine alerts by SMS.”

At least 12 people were killed and three others abducted after gunmen attacked a mining site in Atoso village, Plateau State, on Tuesday night, a local group leader said on Wednesday. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, leader of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), said the attackers—identified by residents as armed Fulani militias—also left five people hospitalised with gunshot wounds. Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing. The attack highlights the persistent insecurity in Plateau State, a flashpoint in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where long-running ethnic and religious tensions have fueled deadly clashes between farmers and herders despite repeated government assurances of restoring peace. Tuesday’s attack came just days after four children were killed in a nearby village, Mwantiri said, accusing authorities of ignoring early warning signs. The BYM is urging the government to deploy more security forces to enforce a ban on open grazing, and rescue the abducted victims.