HIRAM, Ohio (WOIO) – The Hiram Police Department issued a warning Friday about an increase in an Ohio District Court text-message scam.
According to the department, residents have been alerting it about text messages claiming to be from the Ohio District Court.
In the messages, residents are accused of having an unpaid traffic violation.
Police say the messages start out as a notice about a traffic fine but then threaten legal consequences such as arrest warrants, driver’s license suspension, vehicle registration suspension, court fees or referral to a debt collection agency.
The messages end by urging recipients to click on a suspicious link contained in them.
Police say all the messages are coming from unknown international numbers, which they said are not associated with Ohio courts.
They added that Ohio courts and government agencies do not notify individuals of legal matters through text messages.
If residents receive these scam messages, police urged them not to click on links or reply to messages.
Residents are encouraged to verify the information by contacting the court or agency directly using official contact information.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.

source