Scammers are targeting drivers across the country with fraudulent text messages that impersonate state courts and claim the recipient has an outstanding traffic violation. These messages include an image of a fake official notice and a QR code, which directs victims to a phishing site designed to steal financial data under the guise of a small payment.
This scheme is an evolution of the widespread toll and parking ticket scams seen throughout 2025 that focused on impersonating state tolling agencies. The updated approach shifts the authority to the judicial system, using the threat of formal court enforcement to create a sense of urgency and bypass the skepticism people developed toward previous versions of the scam.
The latest wave of messages began surfacing recently with reports coming from residents in New York, California, North Carolina, and several other states. While the specific state mentioned in the text changes based on the target, the core message remains the same, warning individuals that their supposed violations have reached a critical enforcement stage.
A significant change in this campaign is the reliance on images and QR codes rather than traditional clickable links. By sending an image of a formal notice instead of plain text, the scammers attempt to appear more legitimate and evade automated security filters that typically flag suspicious URLs in text messages.
The fake notices often state that the matter has entered a final warning phase and demand a specific fee, such as $6.99, to resolve the issue. When a user scans the QR code, they are taken to a deceptive website where any entered personal information or credit card details are captured by the attackers for identity theft or further financial fraud.
Public safety officials and cybersecurity experts urge consumers to remain vigilant and avoid interacting with unsolicited texts regarding legal matters. Legitimate court systems and government agencies do not typically use text messages or QR codes to collect payments for traffic violations or issue formal legal notices of default.
Source: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-warns-consumers-e-zpass-text-message -scam