Belleville Police Warn About Fake ‘Court Notice’ Scam

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A wave of phony “court notices” have been making their way around Essex County, including in Belleville.

Police departments across the county have been releasing warnings about the scam this week, which involves fake letters about traffic and toll violations.

Authorities said the letters may appear official, and often include a QR code demanding payment and threatening court action.

Some signs that you’re looking at a bogus letter include:

• No name of who the summons has been issued
• No vehicle description
• No license plate number
• No date of incident

Police warned anyone who got a letter not to scan the code, click and links or provide any personal/financial information.

Authorities advised people not to respond if they get one of these letters. Residents should try to verify the notice through an official court or county website.

People who get a text message should report it as spam on their phones, police said.

“These scams are designed to look real, but they are not issued by any legitimate court,” authorities said. “Courts do not send summons out via text message.”

Warnings about the scam have recently been issued in towns including Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Montclair, Newark and South Orange.

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