The U.S. District Court of Vermont has been notified of a scam involving text messages that falsely claim to be from the “District Court of Chittenden County – Traffic Division.” These messages include a so-called Mandatory Collection Notice demanding payment of fines, along with a QR code for payment and purported court hearing details. Please be aware that the court does not send text messages or call private individuals to demand or threaten payment.

Members of the public are urged to exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links from unknown sources. Be especially wary of messages that:

• Request payment using credit or debit card numbers, gift cards, wire transfers, or bank routing information for any reason.
• Include links or QR codes directing you to additional information or payment portals.

These messages are fraudulent and have no connection to the federal courts.