The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County is warning residents of a nationwide traffic scam - asking residents to pay court fines and fees for tolls, speeding tickets and parking violations prior to a 9 a.m. hearing tomorrow.
Scammers are sending text messages and emails representing themselves as the Superior Court of Maricopa County Traffic Division and threatening recipients to scan a QR Code to settle an unpaid balance or face license revocation and additional fines. Do not download the message, as it may contain malicious software, and do not click on or scan the QR code.
The scam creates a sense of false urgency by demanding immediate payment in ways that are difficult to trace like cash, gift cards or electronic payment.
The Maricopa County Superior Court wants to assure the public that these are not legitimate texts and emails. There is no “Traffic Division” of the Superior Court of Maricopa County. Additionally, the Court would never make such threats and demand immediate payment.
How to Identify Scams:
- Courts do not ask for immediate payment over the phone or via email.
- Only scammers will insist you can only pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer service.
- Courts do not ask for sensitive personal information over the phone, like your Social Security number.