ID thieves take advantage of red light cameras

Police in selected Iowa and Colorado towns recently installed cameras into traffic lights in an attempt to catch motorists who run red lights, KKTV-TV reports. They claim the practice makes the streets safer and brings in revenue for the cities. However, the new technology has also spurred a slew of scammers who are using it to commit identity theft. The news source notes that residents of the Colorado towns of Pueblo and Colorado Springs are receiving calls from people claiming they owe a fine for running a red light. These unknown callers are asking for residents' credit card numbers, security codes, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. However, police from both cities insist they'd never call people over the phone to collect fines, nor would they ask for such personal information. In Northeast Iowa, a similar scam is taking place online. Residents are receiving emails claiming they need to pay an overdue red light camera ticket, Eastern Iowa News Now reports. "I'm sure people would fall for it, because so many people speed they probably thought they got caught," said Vinton resident Teresa McKenna, as quoted by the news source.