That “court notice” text you received is a scam, experts say

INDIANAPOLIS— The Identity Theft Resource Center, a national nonprofit, issued a warning this week about fake court notices claiming you have unpaid traffic fines or unpaid tolls.

Typically, you receive a text message with an attachment that contains a case number, a deadline to pay and a QR code to scan.

In this week’s Tip of the Week, Indiana’s I-Team has learned that scanning that QR code is designed to steal:

• Your Money: They want you to pay “fines” immediately via untraceable methods or credit cards.
• Financial Access: Clicking links or scanning QR codes can lead to “spoofed” websites designed to capture your banking or credit card login credentials.
• Personal Data: They may ask for your driver’s license number or other identifiers to “verify” your case, which is then used for identity theft.

Indiana’s I-Team checked with county courts and clerks and we learned they will not text you about a traffic related offense.

Eva Velasquez, CEO at the Identity Theft Resource Center, says the message are very believable.

“With the inclusion of a lot of the surveillance cameras, we’ve all heard the media coverage about the Flock cameras, so people are on high alert for some of these incidents that maybe they didn’t know about,” said Velasquez. “They might think they didn’t know that something happened, and I think that is feeding into this as well.”

ITRC Tips to Protect Yourself from Traffic Fine Scams

• Verify the Source: Remember that the District Court, Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office do not send court notices or fine demands by text.
• Don’t Scan or Click: Never scan a QR code or click a link in an unsolicited text. These can install malware on your device or take you to a fraudulent payment site.
• Check the Official Way: If you are worried you might actually have an outstanding ticket, look up the official phone number for your local clerk of court or Department of Motor Vehicles and call them directly.
• Act Fast if You Paid: If you have already sent money or shared your bank details, contact your financial institution immediately to report the fraud.