The Oklahoma City Municipal Court is sounding the alarm on a convincing phone scam aimed at residents with outstanding tickets, with fraudsters masquerading as court employees and even law enforcement, they are using caller ID spoofing to make it seem like the calls are coming from the court's official number and they are pressuring victims to pay their fines over the phone or face jail time, intimidating tactics have also included false claims that appearing in person at the court would also lead to immediate arrest, according to the City of Oklahoma City.
It's a ruse designed to exploit fear, and anyone who receives such a call should immediately hang up and directly contact the Municipal Court at (405) 297-3898 during business hours, or visit the court in person at 701 Couch Drive from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, holidays excepted for those looking for a safer, more secure mode of payment, the court's website offers an online payment link among other details, as reported by the City of Oklahoma City official news release.
Aware of the economic squeeze that can turn a ticket into a towering burden, the Oklahoma City Municipal Court also provides a bevy of options designed to assist those under financial duress including extending payment plans, proposing community service options and potentially reducing, or in certain cases, completely waiving fines and fees – a show of leniency in an often unforgiving system, as per the City of Oklahoma City.
