The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said anyone who receives the document should not scan the QR code and report it immediately.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Houston-area residents are being warned about a scam involving fake Harris County court documents sent through text messages and emails.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, scammers are sending a fake court document claiming that recipients owe money for parking or traffic violations. The document includes a QR code that direct victims to make payments.
“They’re sending a QR code because it looks professional, because it looks like the latest in technology, so they may be more inclined to opening up that QR code,” HSCO Deputy Rafael Pantoja said. “A lot of times, it may appear to be legitimate, but it’s better not to even open it, especially if you don’t even know the number, you don’t know the email.”
The sheriff’s office said this particular scam started popping up late last week. Pantoja added that it is not just your money that could be at risk.
“There could be a virus on there. There could be something that steals your information, your identity,” Pantoja said.
Harris County Courts told KHOU 11 that there are several indicators on the fake document that show it is fraudulent:
- It appears to come from the “Harris County District Courts Traffic Division,” which does not exist. Officials said traffic tickets are usually handled in Justice Courts or Municipal Courts.
- The address listed is for the Harris County Civil Courthouse, which does not house any Justice Courts or Municipal Courts.
- The case number is not valid.
- There is no specific judge or court listed on the document.
Court officials also said that legitimate payments can only be made through their official court website.
“The court is never going to call you to charge you money, never going to call you to give your personal information,” Pantoja said. “Anytime someone asks for money, or your personal information, or your credit card information, your debit card, it’s probably going to be fraud.”
Cybersecurity expert David Taxer, owner of Texas Cyber Solutions, said scammers are increasingly relying on QR codes because many people lower their guard when scanning them.
“People are less suspicious of QR codes,” Taxer said.
Taxer said QR code scams are not limited to the online space.
“They’re very often out and about in the real world,” Taxer said. “A lot of parking meters these days have QR codes, and all a guy has to do is put a new sticker on top of the old sticker, and some people will scan it.”
KHOU 11 also spoke to the Better Business Bureau last year about scams involving QR codes placed on unexpected package deliveries.
Taxer said the safest approach is to avoid scanning QR codes whenever possible.
“A best practice is just don’t scan QR codes,” Taxer said.
Court officials urge anyone who receives suspicious court documents to contact the court directly or visit www.jp.hctx.net to verify whether a case is legitimate.
Anyone who received the fake documents is encouraged to report the scam to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-221-6000.