SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego police are warning drivers of a new parking ticket scam cropping up in the city. The department said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Monday night it had recently become aware of the new scheme, which involves placing fraudulent notices for parking violations on the windshield of parked vehicles. The fraudulent tickets may ostensibly appear legitimate, but police noted a few key differences with real law enforcement-issued citations. These new California driving laws take effect in 2025 The biggest difference, police say, is a section of the page soliciting a donation to a number of organizations like the San Diego Police Foundation or San Diego Regional Fire Foundation in lieu of payment. "Please be aware the San Diego Police Department will never ask for a monetary donation in lieu of a parking citation," the department wrote in the post alongside a picture of the fake ticket. Police added there may be other versions of the fraudulent ticket circulating within the city, encouraging the public who sees a citation on their car that is not from a uniformed officer to contact the department at 619-531-2000. Parking ticket scam. (Courtesy of San Diego Police Department) This is the second parking-related cons the city of San Diego has warned drivers about over the last few months. Earlier this year, the city alerted drivers to watch out for a scheme targeting stickers detailing payment options for street parking meters that had been seen in other parts of the country. Authorities release results of East County DUI checkpoints The best way to avoid getting duped by these kinds of scams is to remain vigilant when finding a place to park, according to the Better Business Bureau. This includes looking into local parking availability and requirements before visiting a new place, examining the citation carefully to see if there are any red flags, and double checking the name the driver is instructed to make a check out to is a municipal entity, not a personal name. The bureau also encourages people to pay for parking-related costs with a credit card whenever possible, as fraudulent charges on that account can be easier to dispute compared to other forms of payment.