Another scam is targeting southeast Wisconsin residents with texts and calls about fake traffic citations, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
The messages include claims about unpaid toll fees, traffic citations, jury duty obligations or bail payments and often demand immediate payment, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
The latest phishing attempt come after the Wisconsin Department of Transportation warned the public in April of a similar text scam. The Village of Pulaski Police Department also warned residents Monday, May 4 of a text scam involving fake Wisconsin court notices.
Residents should be aware that the sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies never text or call demanding payment or threatening immediate action, the sheriff’s office said.
“Milwaukee doesn’t even have toll roads – so that ‘unpaid toll’ text is your first clue it’s a scam,” the sheriff’s office added.
If you receive one of the texts or calls, you should not click any provided links, should not provide any personal or financial information, and delete the message and report it as spam.
Here’s what else to know about the traffic citation scam.
How to check if you have a traffic citation
To check if you actually have a citation, you can call the Milwaukee County Clerk of Courts at 414-278-5362 or the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Desk at 414-278-4712.
What to do if you are the victim of a scam
If you fall victim to the scam, the state Department of Transportation recommends taking the following steps:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Southeast Wisconsin residents targeted by fake traffic ticket scam
Reporting by Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
