(WNDU) – Police in the Michiana area are warning the public about an ongoing scam originating in Marion County (Indianapolis) that appears to be targeting Hoosiers statewide.
According to Michigan City police, scammers are sending text messages informing recipients they have received a “Notice of Hearing-Traffic Violation” from Superior Court in Marion County. The notices are often edited by the scammer but seek fraudulent payment from the recipient.
The text message contains a link and/or an attachment with a Quick Response (QR) code for recipients to scan to pay for an alleged “Parking Violation/Failure to Pay Electronic Toll” infraction.
The attachment also contains a fraudulent court and case number, lists Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis as the hearing location, and includes a date and time the recipient is scheduled to appear. The name and signature of John Smith have appeared on these notices as the Judge and Clerk of Marion Superior Court.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Ted Bohner also issued a warning about the scam and shared an image of what it looks like on social media.
#ScamAlert Anyone receive this on your cellphone lately?
Rest easy. This is a new take on the old unpaid toll scam that has been around for several years.
The scammers must have been bored and decided to change things up a bit but this is bogus and a total scam. pic.twitter.com/4iRznh76ly
Police say the text message and the QR code attachment appear authentic but are fraudulent. Authorities advise recipients to not click any link or scan the QR code, to delete the text message, and to avoid interacting with the fraudulent notice.
Residents are encouraged to verify any suspected violation directly through official state or local government channels rather than using links or QR codes sent by text message. Police note that scammers use urgent language and official-looking documents to pressure people into making payments.
Anyone with questions about whether a communication from the Marion County Clerk’s Office is legitimate can call 317-327-4740 or visit Indy.gov/Clerk.
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