Prosecutors in Northern California are warning drivers of a scam where fake traffic citations are sent via email or text message.<\/p>\n
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell issued a joint consumer alert on Wednesday describing the scheme, which appears to be part of a nationwide scam tricking people into making payments.<\/p>\n
The messages are designed to look like official court communications and often carry titles such as “Toll Violation” and “Traffic Violation,” with a “notice of hearing” to gain the victim’s attention. The notices claim the recipient has a pending court hearing and offer an option to avoid it by paying fees through a QR code or link. <\/p>\n
“Courts do not send traffic notices via text or email,” the district attorneys said in a statement. <\/p>\n
Residents were urged not to click on any links or scan any QR codes from messages purporting to be from a court. Jenkins and Rosell also emphasized not to make any payments for court fees through a text message or email.<\/p>\n
“It is unfortunate that scammers choose to prey upon the fears of law-abiding people,” Jenkins said, urging the public to ignore the notices and report them to law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Rosell added that anyone who has interacted with the scammers should take immediate action by contacting the San Francisco DA’s office Consumer Protection Unit at 628-652-4311.<\/p>\n
“It is imperative that recipients not click on any links in the message, change passwords if they do, and promptly contact law enforcement,” Rosell said.<\/p>\n