State officials warn of toll road message claiming to be from 36th District Court in Wayne County

The Michigan Attorney General's office is warning of a new text-based scam that fraudulently claims to be from the 36th District Court in Wayne County. 

The image claims to be a "Notice of Civil Infraction Hearing" and mentions a toll violation. The message then falsely claims the recipient must appear in person for a court hearing, or admit responsibility and pay a penalty before the designated date. 

The scam includes a QR code that the attorney general's office said appears to be from the Michigan Department of State, but is not. 

Similar scams involving toll road scenarios have also been reported using the names of private companies and the Michigan Department of Transportation. 

"Scammers are using toll road scams to scare residents into turning over their hard-earned money," said Attorney General Dana Nessel. "When in doubt, always follow your instincts and never share personal and financial information because you received an urgent text message. Verify any claims with the 36th District Court or any entity a scammer is claiming to represent." 

The attorney general's office also reminds consumers that government agencies do not demand money through email, over the phone, or text. They will mail a notice that explains the infraction and the payment options. 

The above video originally aired on March 14, 2025.