Scammers Sending Texts Posing as Dallas Municipal Court

The Dallas Police Department issued a warning on Friday about a scam involving fraudulent text messages claiming to be from the city's municipal court.

The department put out the warning in a Friday afternoon social media post. According to the post, the messages instruct recipients to make payments through a QR code. "This is a scam," the post states.

These messages are apparently so convincing that the department received reports of individuals going to the municipal court after receiving the message or even making payments through the fraudulent portal.

So the department is reminding residents that the city and municipal court do not request payments via unsolicited text messages or QR codes. Therefore, do not click links or scan QR codes from unknown or suspicious messages. Additionally, never provide payment or personal information to an unverified source.

Residents that receive one of the messages should immediately delete the message.

Individuals who've already made a payment should contact their bank or credit card company immediately and report the incident to the Dallas Police Department, which is actively investigating the scam and working with partners to prevent further victimization.

"Stay alert," the post states. "When in doubt, verify directly with official City of Dallas sources."

The Dallas Municipal Court provides several options for paying citations, including online, by phone, at certain retail stores, by mail, or in-person. The court also allows residents to set up a payment plan, although they may need to speak to a judge first.