PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (EYT) — Philadelphia Municipal Court issued a statewide consumer fraud alert warning residents about a scam text message falsely claiming recipients failed to pay a Pennsylvania Turnpike toll.
According to court officials, the message appears to come from the court’s Traffic Division and includes the headline “Notice of Hearing – TOLL VIOLATION.”
The fraudulent text instructs recipients to either appear for a hearing or pay a civil penalty before a specified hearing date. The message also includes a QR code directing users to submit payment.
Court officials say the messages are completely fake and are part of a scam targeting residents across Pennsylvania.
Authorities said they have received reports from individuals throughout the state who have received the messages.
Officials strongly advise the public not to scan the QR code and to ignore the text message.
The courts emphasized that they never send text messages demanding payment for tolls, parking tickets or other violations, and they do not request Social Security numbers, banking information or credit card details through text messages or phone calls.
Residents who receive the messages or believe they may have been targeted by the scam are encouraged to contact their local police department.
Consumers may also report the scam to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or to the Federal Trade Commission through its website.
Officials also recommend visiting the FTC website to learn about common scams and warning signs that may indicate fraudulent activity.
The post Pennsylvania Courts Issue Fraud Warning Over Fake Toll Notices appeared first on exploreJefferson.
Read the full story here: https://www.explorejeffersonpa.com/local/2026/03/09/pennsylvania-courts-issue-fraud-warning-over-fake-toll-notices-173815/
