The "Notice of Traffic Violation" or "Toll Evasion" communication you received is a widespread smishing (SMS phishing) scam currently targeting drivers across several countries, including the US, Canada, and India. Fraudsters are impersonating local courts, the DMV, or toll agencies like E-ZPass to steal your financial information and personal data.
How to Spot the Scam
Legitimate government agencies and courts do not send official violation notices or hearing summons via text message or email; these are almost always sent via physical U.S. Mail.
- Generic Information: The notice often uses a common name like "John Smith" for both the judge and the clerk.
- Urgent Threats: They pressure you to pay within a short window (e.g., 12–24 hours) to avoid arrest, license suspension, or credit score damage.
- Suspicious Payment Methods: They will ask you to scan a QR code or click a link to a non-government website (look for URLs ending in
.top, .win, or .life instead of .gov). - International Numbers: Messages often originate from numbers with international country codes (e.g., +63) or random 10-digit mobile numbers.
- Errors: Look for typos, mismatched city/state information (e.g., a "Columbus" court signed by an "Atlanta" clerk), or fake legal codes like "15C-16.003".
What to Do Instead
- Do NOT click any links or scan any QR codes.
- Do NOT reply to the message.
- Verify Directly: If you are concerned about a real violation, search for the official court or DMV website through a search engine and use their official lookup tool or contact number.
- Report the Scam: