Linn County officials warned on April 22 that residents have reported receiving fraudulent text messages claiming to be final notices from the State of Iowa about unpaid tolls, parking violations, and speed violations. The messages also reference the municipal court of St. Louis County in Missouri and instruct recipients to scan a QR code to settle an alleged unpaid balance or attend a court hearing. The texts threaten legal action, including suspension of driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations, if recipients do not comply.
Officials say these text messages are scams and urge people not to scan the QR code or provide any personal financial information. “Delete the message and report it as spam,” officials said in their statement.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and Linn County confirm they do not send fee collection reminders via text message nor request private or financial information through texts.
Residents who receive such phishing texts are advised not to click on any links, paste them into browsers, or respond. Instead, they should use their phone’s “report junk” feature or forward unwanted texts to 7726 (SPAM). After reporting, officials recommend deleting the message.
More information for those who may have fallen victim to scams is available on the Iowa Department of Transportation website.
