Lancaster County warns of traffic fine text scam

LINCOLN, Neb. — Lancaster County authorities are warning residents about a fraudulent text message scam claiming residents owe unpaid traffic fines, according to a county notice.

The deceptive messages claim to be a "final notice" regarding unpaid traffic violations and warn that the matter is under court enforcement. However, the messages are not legitimate and were not sent by Lancaster County or any official court entity. Notably, Nebraska courts do not send automated text messages when traffic fines are due.

The scam typically includes a QR code and encourages recipients to take immediate action, threatening penalties for failing to respond. Some versions of the scam warn about toll evasion and parking violations while threatening to suspend driver's licenses or damage credit scores.

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office urges residents not to scan the QR code, make any payments, or provide personal information to scammers. Residents who receive the message should delete it immediately.

The scam is part of a broader wave of fraudulent traffic-related messages affecting consumers nationwide. The Nebraska Judicial Branch has warned that scammers are sending text messages and emails claiming recipients have unpaid traffic fines and threatening additional penalties unless recipients click links to pay.

Residents who question the legitimacy of a traffic-related message should contact their local court directly using contact information they independently verify, not information provided in the message. Those who suspect they have been victimized should report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.