(INDIANAPOLIS) - State and local officials are warning Hoosiers about a surge in scam text messages claiming recipients owe money for traffic or toll violations.
The messages, which appear to come from government agencies, instruct people to pay fines to avoid a hearing. Officials say the texts are fraudulent.
Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell says her office has been flooded with calls from concerned residents.
"We had 600 calls to our office on Monday," Bell said. "People were frantic."
Authorities say the scams are becoming more convincing, with more realistic formatting and language.
Indiana State Police say the goal is to pressure people into quickly paying smaller fines without verifying the source.
Officials point to several red flags, including incorrect names of judges and clerks, references to toll roads that do not exist in certain counties, and contact information that does not match official agencies.
They stress that legitimate court notices would come directly from the court, and toll violations would be issued by an official tolling agency.
Residents are urged not to click on links in unsolicited messages, avoid sharing personal or financial information, and instead contact agencies directly to verify any claims.
Authorities say the best way to stop scammers is to ignore the messages, delete them, and block the sender.