The Maryland Judiciary is warning the public about a new text scam that appears to reference Judge John Smith and directs recipients to report to the District Court in Baltimore City.

This is a scam, and the Fayette Steet courthouse is closed.

The text says it is a “Notice of Hearing – Traffic Violation” for parking and toll violations and tells the recipient that they must “appear for a hearing on the date and time listed below” and includes a case number, date, time, and court location. The text also says, “Resolve the matter by payment of the assessed civil penalty and authorized court costs prior to hearing date” and directs recipients to a fictitious QR code.

These texts, or any variations of it, are a scam, and recipients should not click the links, scan QR codes, nor provide any payment or personal information. Maryland courts do not send texts requesting payment or personal information via text, telephone, or email.