(WHTM) — Pennsylvania courts are warning citizens of a statewide fictional text scam regarding toll payments that is on the rise.
The Pennsylvania Courts announced they are issuing a statewide fraud alert to warn consumers about a fictitious text-messaging scam purporting to be from the Traffic Division of Philadelphia Municipal Court.
The courts say the texts typically read “Notice of Hearing – TOLL VIOLATION” and that recipients must “appear for a hearing” or resolve the matter by “payment of the assessed civil penalty” before the hearing date. The scam texts also typically include a QR code, the courts said.
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Courts, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
Recipients are advised to ignore the texts and to not scan the QR code, as the courts say they will never send texts demanding toll, parking payments, or other violations.
The public, the Courts say, should never provide personal, banking, or credit card information to a link from an unknown text or phone call, and the courts would never request Social Security numbers or credit card information over the phone or via text.
If you have received one of these text messages or are a victim of this scam, the courts advise to call your local police department or contact the PA Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555, or contact the Federal Trade Commission.
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