Local News
The notices may seem legitimate at a first glance, but a closer look reveals that they’re riddled with obvious red flags.
March 22, 2026 | 9:50 AM
2 minutes to read
Authorities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are warning the public about fake court notices sent out by scammers.
At a glance, the notices appear to be from state courts, but upon closer inspection, they are littered with errors and red flags. For a start, rather than bearing the heading “Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” they instead say “State of Massachuseetts.”
Police in Norwood and Weymouth both shared examples of these fake notices, which claim that the recipient has a traffic violation and must immediately pay fines or appear in court for a hearing. The scam directs recipients to scan a QR code at the bottom of the document to pay the fines.
Additional red flags include the generic judge and clerk names of “John Smith” and a lack of verified case details, Weymouth police said on Facebook. The phone number listed on the notice for Boston Municipal Court, where the fake hearing would supposedly take place, also doesn’t match the court’s actual number.
Norwood police further pointed out on Facebook that the Massachusetts seal at the top contains garbled text around it instead of actual words. The documents shared by both police departments also have the exact same hearing date, time, and location.
Similar scams have been popping up across New Hampshire, prompting Attorney General John Formella to issue a warning to residents. The notices, which some residents have received via text, are nearly identical to their Massachusetts counterparts, albeit with the court and state information changed.
“Scammers often use official-looking language and documents to create a sense of urgency and fear,” Formella said in a statement. “Consumers should take time to verify any unexpected communication before taking action.”
Authorities in both states have advised recipients not to scan the QR code or provide any credit card details or personal information. Instead, they should immediately delete the message and contact the court through their official phone number or .gov websites if they have concerns about a ticket.
These types of scams appear to be on the rise, as Boston police previously warned residents about similarly fraudulent notices earlier this month. Though these scammers managed to spell “Massachusetts” correctly and list the court’s actual phone number, the notices otherwise contained the same red flags as those sent out elsewhere.
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