Get a ‘Strongly Worded Text Warning’ About Parking? It could be a Scam
Scammers are at it again, sending messages to Americans, hoping to trick them into providing financial information under the guise of paying parking or toll fees, officials in several states said this month.
In the messages, scammers often pose as employees of the Department of Transportation or the Supreme Court and tell potential victims that “records show unpaid traffic violations on your vehicle.”
The messages include dates the department will take, such as suspending vehicle registration or charging fees if you don’t click on a link and pay.
This issue seems to have intensified in March as officials have issued warnings about the scams in Indiana, Maryland and Michigan.
The scams have been going on since at least 2024. Scammers often pretend to be a paid service at the recipient’s location. For example, fraud after California residents submit documents claiming to be from FastTrak, while fraud after New York residents claim to be from EZ Pass.
In April 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it had received more than 2,000 complaints reporting scams representing road collection services in three states. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning for January 2025, saying the scammers are back.
On Friday, March 20, USA TODAY reached out to government officials to ask about the scam messages, including the FBI, FTC, Internal Revenue Service, US Department of Justice, and the General Services Administration, which controls parking garages in government buildings and spaces across the US Officials have not responded.
How Do I Know If It’s a Scam?
Recent scams have included messages claiming to be from the Department of Transport. Scammers warn recipients that they have parking or toll fees to pay, or risk the department suspending their vehicle registrations or licenses, or charge them extra.
“Please review your case information and submit payment through MDOT’s official website: fraudsters recently posted to a Maryland resident. “Reply Y to review this notice. When you are ready, click the link above to complete your payment.”
Another resident, in Maryland and Indiana, received a message with similar requests.
In this case, the fraudsters posed as representatives of courts in Indiana and Maryland. In the message, the scammers include the case number and the name of the judge, telling the recipient that they are scheduled for a hearing. Options include filing a complaint or paying fees online.
Some of the messages also include QR codes that customers can scan with their phones.
What do the Officials say?
The Mary Judiciary issued a warning on March 19 warning local people about these scams.
“This is a scam, and the Fayette (Street) courthouse is closed,” the notice read. “Recipients should not click on links, scan QR codes, or provide any payment or personal information. Maryland courts do not send documents requesting payment or personal information by text, phone, or email.”
Law enforcement said those who receive the documents and have questions can contact the Office of the Attorney General for Consumer Protection at 410-528-8662 or 888-743-0023.
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office also issued a warning this week that foreign fraudsters are after document fraud in the state. According to the office, the scammers sent a “strong text warning” to Indiana residents.
“The document appears to be authentic,” the office wrote. “It shows official sounding language and an image of the Indiana state logo. The problem is that the documents are from fraudsters running a phishing scam.”
Phishing, or cyberattack, occurs when fraudsters pose as legitimate entities to trick recipients into clicking on links, opening infected attachments, providing sensitive information and making financial payments.
“Don’t fall for these schemes,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said in the announcement. “Ignore these documents. Just delete them.”
How to Spot a Scam
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office said in its March 18 warning that scam messages often include:
- Urgent or threatening language.
- Websites and email addresses that do not match the official domain of the alleged sender.
- Unusual requests for sensitive personal information such as passwords, social security numbers, or bank details. Official organizations do not ask for this information in writing.
- Standard greetings and incorrect grammar.
- Inaccurate/sloppy copies of the state emblem and other official symbols.
According to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, scammers can use services that sell US traffic ticket data or information about people who violate real traffic laws. Because these people have recently had a traffic violation, they are more likely to fall for the text message trick.
The office said U.S. government agencies can’t stop fraudsters before they send the documents, but world leaders are working together to stay abreast of the tools fraudsters use to target people.
“Modern document fraud is an organized and innovative criminal enterprise,” said Todd Rokita, Indiana’s attorney general in a warning. “We are doing everything we can to bring these criminals to justice, but we must continue to focus on raising awareness and providing education to help Hoosiers avoid becoming victims in the first place.”
Contributors: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Greta Cross, USA TODAY
Saleen Martin is a reporter for the USA TODAY trends team. He is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email him [email protected].
This article appeared in USA TODAY: Get a ‘strongly worded text warning’ about parking? It could be a scam.
Reported by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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