Philadelphia Courts Warn of Fake PA Turnpike Toll Scam Texts

Fraudulent messages claim toll violations and demand payment via QR code

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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The Philadelphia courts have issued a fraud alert about fictitious text messages that appear to come from the city's traffic division. The messages claim the recipient has a 'Notice of Hearing - TOLL VIOLATION' and instruct them to make a payment using a QR code. Officials warn residents to ignore these messages, as the court system will never send texts requesting payment for tolls, tickets or other violations.

Why it matters

This scam targets residents with misleading text messages that could trick them into providing personal and financial information to criminals. Authorities want to raise awareness about this fraud to prevent people from falling victim and losing money.

The details

The text messages instruct recipients to 'appear for a hearing or resolve the matter by using the QR code for "payment of the assessed civil penalty ... prior to the hearing date." However, court officials say they will never send text messages requesting payment for tolls, parking tickets or other violations. Residents are urged not to provide any personal, banking or credit card information through links or QR codes sent from unknown numbers.

  • The fraud alert was issued by Philadelphia courts on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

The players

Philadelphia Courts

The judicial system in Philadelphia that issued the fraud alert about the fake toll violation text messages.

PA Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection

The state agency that residents can contact if they have received one of the fraudulent text messages or are a victim of the scam.

Federal Trade Commission

The federal consumer protection agency that residents can also contact regarding this scam.

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What’s next

Residents who have received one of the fraudulent text messages or believe they are a victim of this scam should contact the PA Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or the Federal Trade Commission.

The takeaway

This scam highlights the importance of being vigilant about unsolicited text messages or communications that claim to be from government agencies or courts and demand immediate payment. Residents should never provide personal or financial information in response to suspicious messages.