A warning from the Dallas Police Department highlights a new variation of a familiar scam: text messages that appear to come from municipal courts directing recipients to fraudulent payment links.
Authorities say the messages claim recipients owe money for parking or toll violations and urge immediate payment through a QR code. The notices often resemble official documents, including references to hearings or court cases, but are not connected to any legitimate city or court process.
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Officials emphasized that the city of Dallas and its municipal courts do not request payments through unsolicited text messages or QR codes. They also do not direct residents to pay fines through links sent by unknown sources.
Police said some residents have reported visiting municipal courts after receiving the messages, while others have made payments through the QR codes before realizing the notices were fraudulent.
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The department urged residents not to click on links or scan QR codes included in unexpected messages and to avoid sharing personal or financial information unless the source has been verified.
Anyone who receives a suspicious message should not respond, should not send money and should delete the message, according to police.
Those who have already made a payment are advised to contact their bank or credit card provider immediately and report the incident to Dallas police.
The department said it is investigating the scam and working with partners to limit further cases.
Suspicious text should also be reported to federal authorities, including the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
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