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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2026

Government Relations and Public Affairs
187 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

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

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Judiciary is warning the public about a new text scam that appears to reference the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) and directs recipients to report to the District Court in Baltimore City, 1400 E. North Avenue, at 9 a.m. on February 11, 2026. This is a scam.

The text says it is a “Notice of Default – Unpaid Parking Fine” and tells the recipient that they have an “unresponded parking ticket linked to your vehicle” and includes a fictitious MVA web link with the date, time, and court location. The text also says that failing to act will result in fines, license suspension, court enforcement, and a poor social security number record.

These texts, or any variations of it, are a scam, and recipients should not click the link 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.”

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