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Fake traffic violation text scam uses QR codes to steal payment info
Your phone buzzes. A text message pops up saying you have an outstanding traffic violation, and if you scan the attached QR code immediately, you can pay a $6.99 balance and avoid a court appearance.
It looks official. It sounds urgent. And it is completely fake.
Scammers are now targeting drivers across the U.S. with text messages that impersonate state courts, demanding payment for traffic violations that never happened. This campaign has already hit residents in New York, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Connecticut and New Jersey, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
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FAKE SSA EMAIL ALERT: SPOT THIS SCAM FAST
You might remember the wave of smishing scams in 2025 that we reported on, which pretended to be from state toll agencies. Those texts pushed people toward phishing websites through direct links. This new variation takes a different approach, and a more convincing one.
Instead of a plain text link, these messages include an image that looks like an official court notice. It carries formal language, official-sounding headings and a QR code embedded directly in the document. The shift from a clickable link to a scannable code makes it harder for automated security tools to flag the message as dangerous.
One example Bleeping Computer shared claimed to be from the “Criminal Court of the City of New York.” The notice warned that an unpaid parking or toll violation had entered the “formal enforcement stage” and demanded immediate payment, or else an in-person court appearance. Real courts communicate through official mail, not unsolicited text messages with QR codes.
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Scanning the QR code takes you to an intermediary page with a CAPTCHA. That step is intentional. Scammers use it to filter out security researchers and automated scanners so their phishing infrastructure stays under the radar longer.
Once you complete the CAPTCHA, you land on a site designed to look like your state’s DMV or another government agency. It presents an “unpaid balance,” always $6.99 in every case documented so far. That suspiciously round number creates urgency without raising an immediate alarm.
Clicking to pay takes you to a form that asks for your name, address, phone number, email address and credit card information. Everything you enter goes directly to the scammers. That data can fuel follow-on phishing attempts, identity theft, financial fraud or be sold outright to other bad actors.
For reference, fake New York DMV sites in this campaign have used hostnames like “ny.gov-skd[.]org” or “ny.ofkhv[.]life,” neither of which has anything to do with actual New York state government infrastructure.
These scams are sophisticated enough to fool a lot of people, but a few smart habits can keep you well ahead of them.
The most important thing you can do is also the simplest: do not scan QR codes from unknown senders. If a text arrives from a number you don’t recognize, and it asks you to scan something or make a payment, treat it as suspicious until proven otherwise. State agencies across the U.S. have made their position clear. They do not send text messages requesting personal information or payment details. If you genuinely owe a fine, you will receive official correspondence through the mail with verifiable contact information.
Never enter credit card information on a site you reached through a QR code in a text message. Go directly to your state’s official .gov website instead, type the address manually into your browser and look up your actual account status there. If a charge is legitimate, it will show up when you log in through the real site.
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Strong antivirus software adds a critical layer of protection that works even when you don’t. A good security app can detect phishing attempts, flag malicious sites before you enter any information and alert you to threats that arrive through text or email. Make sure your antivirus is active and updated on every device you use to open links or scan QR codes. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
If your personal information has already been exposed through a scam like this one, a data removal service can help limit the damage. These services scan data broker databases and request the removal of your name, address, phone number and other personal details that scammers rely on to target you. It won’t undo what happened, but it can reduce your exposure going forward and make it harder for bad actors to reach you again. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
This scam collects exactly the kind of information that makes identity theft possible: your name, address, phone number, email address and credit card details. An identity theft protection service monitors your accounts, credit file and personal information for suspicious activity and alerts you the moment something looks off. Some services also provide recovery assistance and insurance if your identity does get compromised, which can make an overwhelming situation a lot more manageable. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com.
If you already entered your payment information on one of these sites, contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to dispute charges and request a new card number. Check your credit reports for any unusual activity and consider placing a fraud alert with one of the major credit bureaus.
If you receive one of these texts, report it. Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM), which is the carrier reporting shortcut used across major U.S. networks. You can also file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and alert your state’s attorney general’s office.
This scam works because it exploits something real: the anxiety most people feel when a government notice shows up demanding action. The fake court language, the formal tone and the embedded QR code all contribute to an experience designed to short-circuit your skepticism. But the tells are there if you look. No legitimate court sends text message ultimatums with QR codes. No state DMV asks you to scan an image from a stranger’s phone number to pay a $6.99 balance. When something feels urgent and slightly off, that combination is usually the scam talking.
If a court could send you a text message threatening legal action for less than the cost of a coffee, and millions of people might actually pay it, what does that tell us about how little most of us actually trust ourselves to spot a scam in the moment? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Daniel Baldwin accuses Jimmy Kimmel of fueling ‘hatred’ toward Trump after White House dinner shooting
Actor Daniel Baldwin criticized Jimmy Kimmel’s political rhetoric after the latest assassination attempt against President Donald Trump, accusing the late-night host of “planting this kind of hatred.”
In a clip from the May 3 episode of “The Daniel Baldwin Show,” first picked up by Breitbart on Monday, Baldwin said he was saddened by the reaction to the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner last month, where authorities say a gunman targeted Trump and members of his administration.
Baldwin used the attack to criticize anti-Trump attitudes in Hollywood and Kimmel’s repeated criticism of the president, arguing that even in an entertainment culture long hostile to Republicans, he has never seen public figures talk so casually about political violence.
“I remember being on movie sets with big name people, Oscar winner, high-paid talent,” Baldwin said. “And they would just be sh—– on some politician or person, like, ‘Yeah, someone should get him.’ ‘Someone should shoot him,’ once someone said in front of me. And I thought, ‘Wow, your voice carries weight. You know, your words have followers and people.’”
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He then questioned whether Kimmel’s late-night commentary could fuel hatred toward Trump.
“Does Jimmy Kimmel not realize that when you keep bombarding in every one of your monologues and planting this kind of hatred in the American public or the people that follow you, someone might act on that?” Baldwin asked.
“Now, does that exonerate Kimmel of any wrongdoing? Yeah, he didn’t do it, but did he play a role in it? Does he care that he played a role? Is that the point? Does he do it because he wants that to happen? I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I’m sad, man,” he added.
Baldwin contrasted today’s climate with Hollywood’s response to the 1981 assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan, referencing a resurfaced clip of Johnny Carson addressing the delayed Academy Awards after Reagan was shot.
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“We never hated anyone. We never wanted someone to die or laughed about them dying. It’s really disturbing to me,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin, the second-oldest of the four Baldwin brothers who became a conservative in 2016, said the hostility he now sees from some in the entertainment industry has changed how he feels about his own profession.
“I used to be proud to say I was an actor,” Baldwin said. “You walk into a room now and say, yeah, I’m an actor. I’m a movie actor and television actor… It’s not something I’m as proud to say or is it as big a deal because of the hatred that comes out from that side.”
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Kimmel has faced criticism after joking days before the shooting that first lady Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow” during a mock White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner skit.
The joke prompted the president and first lady to call for his firing. Kimmel later said the line was “a very light roast joke” about Trump’s age, not a call to violence.
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“It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination,” Kimmel said.
Last year, Kimmel was briefly suspended by Disney after controversial remarks about the assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage, and ABC said the show would be preempted indefinitely. He returned to the air days later and insisted he never intended to make light of Kirk’s death.
ABC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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Florida GOP candidate reveals why ‘amazing’ fundraising haul and key Trump moves suggest midterm ‘optimism’
Scott Singer, the former Republican mayor of Boca Raton and a candidate for Congress in Florida, is touting a significant campaign fundraising haul while outlining to Fox News Digital the reasons why he believes there is reason for optimism for the GOP in November.
Singer’s first-quarter fundraising numbers in the 2026 cycle showed him significantly outraising incumbent Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, along with slightly more cash on hand, despite being a first-time candidate.
As a result of Florida’s new redistricting push, Singer recently announced he will be running in the redrawn 25th congressional district, and it is unclear which district Moskowitz will decide to run in, but Singer tells Fox News Digital he is “very pleased” with the financial support he’s gotten from almost 3,600 contributors
“We’re very pleased that we had an amazing fundraising quarter, one of the best of any Republican challenger in the nation,” Singer said. “I think it’s going well because people are really enthused about our candidacy. I think people are ready for change. They’re upset with the progress of Congress.”
With most pundits predicting a tough time for Republicans in the upcoming midterms as they attempt to hold a razor-thin majority in the House and tight majority in the Senate along with historical headwinds, Singer says he sees “great reason for optimism” as he campaigns in his race.
“We have a strong economy, the strongest we’ve had in years, record growth in GDP inflation before the latest blip, which is temporary because of the Iran conflict,” Singer explained. “Inflation was at the lowest level we had for years and voters understand that it was the one unchecked runaway inflation under President Biden that put us in this situation.”
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Singer continued, “President Trump and the administration have done so much to bring prices down across the board, and cutting regulations will continue to do that. The biggest tax cut in American history is reaching American taxpayers right now, with huge refunds going to individuals and the average refund for 12 million small businesses of $7,000 and that was done with every Democrat in Congress voting against it.”
Singer told Fox News Digital the GOP is now the “party of the middle” class thanks to tax-cutting policies for tips and overtime, and said he believes those “real benefits” will continue to take effect over the next year.
“I think people are going to be more optimistic,” Singer said. “If you look at so many objective indicators and not the panic that some media outlets put out there, things are great and when you interview voters and ask them about policies, they lean more to the right. They support the Republican agenda. That’s why I feel very optimistic, and I think other candidates, if we focus on the agenda and less on what the media would have us buy into comments about personality, it really affects what we’re doing on paychecks and what we are doing on the border.”
Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives heading into the 2026 midterms, one of the narrowest controlling margins in nearly a century, with Democrats widely believed to be holding an edge, especially given the party in power historically sees losses in midterm elections.
Aggressive redistricting by both parties in states across the country has complicated the situation even further.
Democrats have been hammering President Trump and the Republican Party on high gas prices and the economy, and a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pushed back on the Republican agenda in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Florida Republicans knew they couldn’t win on their cost-raising, billionaire-first, wildly unpopular agenda that’s crushing working families and small businesses, which is why they’re desperate to gerrymander the maps and rig the midterms,” DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said. “Any Republican who claims the GOP’s price-spiking policies are popular only proves the fact they have no idea what voters are feeling right now.”
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