Harris County residents are receiving fake text messages demanding payment for "toll fee" and "traffic violations" that lead to fraudulent websites asking for personal and financial information. Marilyn Burgess said, "The Harris County District Clerk’s Office does not send text messages requesting payment for court costs or fees. Let alone do we collect any payments for toll or traffic violations," according to reports from both Click2Houston and ABC13.
The FBI and Harris County Sheriff’s Office are investigating, and residents are advised to ignore the messages, avoid clicking links, and report them to law enforcement. Scam text messages like these are happening in many states, not just Texas. Authorities say anyone who visited the fake website should cancel their credit cards right away to avoid fraud, as per Click2Houston.
The District Clerk's Office says they never request payments by text. If you get a suspicious message, do not respond and report it. For questions, you can call the District Clerk’s Office at (832) 927-5800 or the Sheriff’s Office at (713) 221-6000. Authorities advise everyone to stay alert and protect their personal information.
