STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. If you get a text message from an unknown number with some urgent warning, it's usually best to delete and definitely don't click on the link. But San Francisco officials say their messages are real. The Municipal Transportation Agency is texting drivers when a car is about to be towed. Run out to move it, and you can save $500. Sadly, the message also means you were ticketed, and there is no warning that's going to save you from paying that. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.