Fraudsters are sending out bogus “Default Notice” text messages that look like they’re from state courts across the country. These messages try to get people to scan a QR code, which takes them to a fake website that asks for a $6.99 payment and steals private and financial info.

This is a updated version of the widespread toll violation and parking ticket scams from 2025, that pretended to be from state toll authorities.

This recent campaign started a couple of weeks ago. Someone showed BleepingComputer a message aimed at New York residents, and many others have reported similar texts online targeting other states, like California, North Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

Unlike the older scams, which had a text message and links to fake websites, this new scam uses a picture of a fake court notice with a QR code included.

“This is a final warning about a traffic violation involving your vehicle in New York,” the fake notice says.

“This matter is now in the formal enforcement process.”

The text message shared with BleepingComputer appears to be from the “Criminal Court of the City of New York” and says there’s an unpaid parking or toll violation that needs to be paid immediately, or the person needs to go to court. It tells them to scan a QR code to pay the balance.

Scanning the QR code takes the victim to a middleman website that asks them to solve a captcha to ensure they are a person. The QR codes and CAPTCHA are implements to hinder automated security software and security researchers that may attempt to analyze the phishing campaign.

Solving the CAPTCHA redirects the victim to another fake website that looks like it’s from the state’s DMV or another agency, claiming there’s an unpaid toll or parking ticket. In the examples BleepingComputer saw, the amount is $6.99.

For example, the fake New York DMV sites use hostnames like “ny.gov-skd[.]org” or “ny.ofkhv[.]life”.

Clicking “continue” takes you to a page where you can enter your personal and credit card details to pay the supposed fee.

This form is set up to steal your information, like your name, address, phone number, email address, and credit card details.

This stolen data can be used for different malicious activities, such as more phishing attacks, financial scams, identity theft, and selling your information to other cybercriminals.

Generally, if you get a text or email from an unknown sender asking you to pay a bill, just ignore it.

State agencies have stated numerous times that they don’t send texts asking for personal or payment information.