Hundreds Show Up at Court Expecting Charges, Learn They Were Victims of Scam in Colorado

Hundreds of people in Colorado have fallen prey to a text scam. On the morning of May 1, the Denver City and County Building faced a huge crowd as over 200 people rushed to the building in connection with traffic and speeding violations. However, they soon realized that they had been scammed by fraudsters.

People reported receiving text messages about being issued traffic tickets. The texts appeared to be from the District Court of Colorado and asked victims to either pay a fine via a QR code or appear at the Denver City and County building at 9 a.m. on May 1. They also warned that failure to comply with the order would lead to arrest.

“You are hereby required to take IMMEDIATE AND Complete ACTION to resolve this matter. Remit FULL PAYMENT IN TOTAL of all outstanding fines, penalties, court costs, and applicable enforcement fees OR appear before the court at the scheduled hearing date to respond to this matter,” read the text.

The QR code redirected users to a website that asked victims to pay $6. Instead of collecting fines, the code was used to obtain users' credit card details. Scammers then used the information to make unauthorized purchases. While several people entered their financial details on the website, others chose to head to Denver City and County. The District Court of Colorado also received hundreds of calls about the purported violations.

Victims had to clear their morning schedules to visit the court. One person, Derrick Garduno, told 9News that he had to take leave from work. “I was informed on my iPhone that I had court today regarding parking, traffic, and speeding violations. I just wanted to come and double-check—make sure if I had a ticket, I paid it,” he said.

As people continued to gather outside the building, the court posted a notice warning them about the scam. The District Court of Colorado also alerted the public on its official website, stating, “The notice includes a QR code that encourages the recipient to scan to pay. THIS IS A SCAM. If you have received any such notice, disregard it, delete it, block the number, and DO NOT SCAN THE QR Code.”

The court said it never sends traffic tickets via text messages. Instead, notifications are sent via email. Users should verify the sender’s email address, along with their full name, case number, and other details, to confirm whether the message is genuine.

Additionally, experts warned that scammers often create a sense of urgency to trick people. Amy Nofziger, director of the AARP Fraud Watch Network, discussed how to handle such situations.

“Take a big pause, read it thoroughly, and ask a friend about it. Nothing is so important that you have to make a decision right away,” she said. While similar scams have been reported in other states, the fraudsters have not yet been identified.