Teen Arrested For Allegedly Scamming Car Owners in Fake Parking Ticket Scheme

Getting a parking ticket is an unpleasant experience. But receiving an obviously fake one is… odd. Police in Santa Cruz, CA, arrested 19-year-old Damian Vela for allegedly handing out false parking tickets in an attempt to receive real money.

Santa Cruz PD shared the fake parking ticket next to a real one on their Facebook page, and the difference is humorously clear. One is properly laid out and valid with the official seal of the city of Santa Cruz. The other used Comic Sans font and looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint. According to authorities, Vela’s scam did not last long as he was arrested the same day they received reports on the false tickets.

Vela was arrested and booked for “unlawful use of a computer system and attempted fraud.” While detectives are searching for any other victims that may have been affected by the scam, it appears that his targets were smart enough to see through his ploy as Vela claimed that he had not received any money from the fake tickets.