Text About an Unpaid Traffic Ticket or DMV Fine? Real or Scam, and What to Do

A text says you owe an overdue traffic ticket, or that a hearing is coming and you must pay a fine now. It looks official, it has a deadline, and it asks you to tap a link or scan a QR code. This guide explains why the FTC says these texts are probably scams, what to do if you already tapped, scanned or paid, and how to check a real ticket safely.

Why this text is probably a scam

The FTC has warned about two versions of this scam.

• The “overdue ticket” text (July 2025). Scammers pretend to be a state DMV. The text says you have an overdue traffic ticket and threatens to suspend your vehicle registration, license and driving privileges unless you pay through a link (FTC, July 2025).
• The “hearing notice” text (April 2026). The FTC reported a spike in this version. The message carries a QR code and what looks like a state seal, plus a fake case number and a hearing date. It gives two choices, attend the hearing or pay the fine now, and threatens default judgments and enforcement if you don’t act (FTC, April 2026).

The goal is to get you to act before you think. The FTC says that scanning the code or tapping the link can lead to stolen personal information, such as Social Security or credit card numbers, malware on your phone and lost money (FTC, April 2026).

Signs the text is fake

• It came out of nowhere. You didn’t get stopped, you don’t remember a camera ticket, and nobody mailed you anything. The FTC’s advice is to avoid links in texts you weren’t expecting (FTC).
• It asks you to pay through a link or a QR code. A QR code hides the web address, so you can’t see where it goes before you scan.
• It threatens you. Losing your license, a default judgment or enforcement action in a few days is pressure, and pressure is how phishing works.
• It has official-looking details. A state seal, a case number and a hearing date are easy to fake. They don’t prove the text is real.
• It asks for personal or payment details by text. The FTC says legitimate companies won’t ask for information about your account by text (FTC).

Not sure? Treat it as fake until you’ve checked through a channel you chose yourself.

If you haven’t tapped or scanned anything

The FTC’s advice for the April 2026 version is short: don’t respond, and don’t scan the QR code. Then:

1. Report the text. Forward it to 7726 (SPAM). That helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages. Your messaging app may also have a report-junk option (FTC).
2. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
3. Delete the text and block the number. Your phone may let you filter messages from unknown senders (FTC).

How to check if a real ticket exists

If you think the message could be real, look it up yourself. The FTC says to contact the court using contact information you already know is correct, not the details in the text (FTC, April 2026). For a message that names a DMV, use a phone number or website you already know is real (FTC, July 2025).

In practice:

• Type your state DMV’s or court’s address into your browser yourself, or use a number from a bill, a letter you already have or the back of your license paperwork.
• Don’t call a number that appears in the text, and don’t search for the case number the text gave you.
• If there is a real ticket, ask how that office wants it paid, and pay only through the channel it confirms.

If you tapped the link or scanned the QR code

You may not have lost anything. What matters is what the page asked for and what you gave it.

1. Close the page. Don’t enter anything else.
2. Run a security check. The FTC says that if a link may have installed harmful software, you should update your security software, run a scan and remove anything it flags (FTC). The FTC’s malware page is written for computers, but its steps apply in general: stop logging into accounts, update your security software, scan, and then change your passwords (FTC). If you need help with a phone, contact its manufacturer or a trusted tech support provider.
3. Change passwords for any account you typed into the page, and for anywhere you reused them. Turn on two-factor authentication (FTC).
4. Watch your statements for charges you don’t recognize.

For a longer checklist, see I clicked a phishing link and I scanned a fake QR code.

If you paid or typed in your card number

The FTC says your money might be gone already, so speed matters. Whatever way you paid, it’s always worth asking the company you used to send the money if there’s a way to get it back (FTC).

How you paid	First step (FTC)
Credit card	Contact the card issuer right away, using the number on the back of the card, and ask for a refund.
Debit card	Contact your bank or credit union right away, using the number on the back of the card, and ask for a refund.
Payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal)	Report it to the app immediately and ask it to reverse the payment.
Bank transfer or Zelle	Report it to your bank or credit union immediately and ask it to reverse the payment.
Gift card	Contact the issuer using the number on the card, say a scammer got the number and PIN, and keep the card and receipt.

Tell the card issuer or bank that the payment page came from a text, and ask whether it wants to replace the card. If you gave your card number but didn’t see a charge yet, it’s still worth asking, because the number is now in a scammer’s hands.

More by payment method: credit card guide, bank account guide, gift cards and Zelle. If you gave your Social Security number, see what to do.

How to report it

1. Text message: forward it to 7726 (SPAM) (FTC).
2. FTC: report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC’s April 2026 alert asks you to follow its steps for scam victims and report it if you paid or shared information.
3. Your state attorney general: find your office on the Find my AG page.

Track your steps with the scam recovery checklist, or see where to report each type of scam.

Watch for the follow-up scam

The FTC says scammers sell lists of people who’ve already paid a scammer, expecting that people who have been scammed once are good targets for being scammed again (FTC). After you report or pay:

• A caller who says they can get your money back for a fee is a scammer. The FTC says never to pay upfront for a refund or help with a refund.
• A message that says the “court” or “DMV” needs a second payment to close your case is part of the same scam.
• Government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money to help you get a refund (FTC).

A related scam uses texts about unpaid road tolls. See toll scam texts. Calls that threaten arrest are covered in jury duty and arrest warrant calls.

What varies

• Your state. Each state has its own DMV, courts and ways of sending notices, so look up your own office through a trusted route. This guide doesn’t describe how any particular state handles tickets.
• Your payment method. Refunds depend on how you paid and on your bank, card issuer or app.
• The message. Scammers change the story, the agency and the payment link. The same rules apply: don’t respond, don’t scan, check through a number you already know.
• Your phone. Filtering and reporting options differ between phones and wireless providers (FTC).