The District Court for the Northern District of Indiana announced on May 20 that a new scam is targeting residents through fraudulent text messages claiming to involve urgent traffic matters.
This warning is important as the scam attempts to trick people into believing they owe unpaid traffic tickets or toll violations, and demands immediate payment or action. The court said these messages instruct recipients to visit a Federal Court and resolve an alleged issue right away.
According to the announcement, “If you received a text message regarding an unpaid traffic ticket or toll violation demanding immediate payment or a QR code scan, it is a scam. The District Court for the Northern District of Indiana does not send text messages to collect fines or list consequences.” The court further explained that these scams often claim to be from the so-called “Indiana Department of Vehicles,” which does not exist; Indiana’s actual agency is called the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
Scammers are also using threats such as immediate license suspension, vehicle registration holds, or additional fees like a “toll booth service fee” in order to create panic and pressure victims into clicking links. The court advised people: “Do not click any links, scan QR codes, or reply. Delete the text and block the number immediately.”
The court directed residents seeking more information about similar scams to check official sources such as the Indiana BMV website’s scam alerts section. Victims are encouraged to report suspicious communications directly to federal authorities.
As scams continue evolving in their methods and messaging, officials remind everyone that legitimate government agencies do not use unsolicited texts for collecting fines.
