Maryland Judiciary warns of new text scam about toll violations in Baltimore City District Court

ANNAPOLIS, MD – 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 located at 500 N. Calvert Street at 9 a.m. on March 9, 2026. This is a scam.

The text says it is a “Notice of Hearing - Parking Violation” 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.

Example of the District Court scam text:

Members of the general public who have questions about potential scams like this can contact the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division hotline at 410-528-8662 or toll free 888-743-0023.

For any questions about a court-related item, please contact the District Court or circuit court in the local jurisdiction. Contact information for each court is available on the Maryland Judiciary’s website under “Directory of Courts.”