The Dallas Police Department is urging residents to be on high alert after a wave of fraudulent text messages impersonating the City of Dallas Municipal Court began circulating, some of which have already tricked people into attempting to pay bogus fines. Authorities say the slick‑looking messages often include official‑sounding language, court addresses and a QR code that directs recipients to a fake payment page — but the texts are not legitimate and should be treated as scams.
Police are stressing that neither the city of Dallas nor its municipal courts send unsolicited text messages or QR codes requesting payment for fines, penalties or court appearances. The intent of the scammers is to get victims to scan the code, click on a link and submit money or personal information, which could lead to financial loss or identity theft.
Messages circulating recently include fabricated hearing dates or alleged citations and try to push recipients into acting quickly. Some Dallas residents have reportedly even shown up at the Municipal Court believing the text was real…