Philly courts issue fraud warning over text message scam
Feb 10, 2026
Court officials in Philadelphia are warning people about a text messaging scam that claims to be from the city’s municipal court and falsely tells recipients that they owe unpaid parking citations.
Officials with the Philadelphia Court System have released this image of a scam message that clai
ms to be from the city’s municipal courts.
Officials said the scam texts tell recipients to pay an “unpaid parking citation” via a link in the text message or to be ready to appear in court.
However, officials said the city’s court system doesn’t work that way and would never send a text message demanding payment for parking or other violations.
Officials also warned residents to be careful not to share personal, banking or credit card information to any unknown phone number or over text.
Anyone who may have received one of these text messages or is worried they may have been a victim of this scam, is asked to call their local police department or contact the PA Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission.
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