Delaware Judiciary warns of statewide text scam impersonating courts
DELAWARE — The Delaware Judiciary is warning residents about a surge of scam text messages and phone calls falsely claiming to be from the Justice of the Peace Court and demanding immediate payment for fake violations.
Officials say the latest scam, reported across the state this weekend, involves messages labeled as a “final notice” that urge recipients to download the text and scan a QR code to resolve supposed speeding or toll violations. The messages threaten consequences such as license suspension if payment is not made.
Court officials stressed the messages are fraudulent and advised recipients not to download the text or scan any QR codes, warning they may contain malicious software.
“This is not a legitimate text message,” said Justice of the Peace Court Chief Magistrate Alan Davis in a statement. He added that the court does not send notices about violations by text message or email and urged anyone who receives such a message to delete it immediately.
Authorities noted the scam messages often do not include the recipient’s name and instead reference a fake case number. A similar scheme was recently reported in neighboring Maryland.
Officials also warned of other variations of the scam that have circulated in recent months. In some cases, scammers call victims directly, claiming there is a warrant for missing jury duty or other fabricated offenses. Victims are then instructed to make payments through bitcoin ATMs, gift cards, or digital payment platforms such as Venmo or Zelle.
The judiciary emphasized that legitimate court agencies do not demand immediate payment through those methods or threaten arrest over the phone.
Officials said a key warning sign is the sense of urgency scammers create, often pressuring victims to act quickly using payment methods that are difficult to trace.
Residents who receive suspicious messages or calls are encouraged to hang up, avoid engaging, and contact local law enforcement or the courts directly to verify any claims.
Court officials also reminded the public that official notifications, including jury duty notices, are typically sent by mail.
