FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Many people are getting notices warning them to pay a toll violation citation, or they can be arrested. But the FBI says it’s a scam.
The Fulton County Solicitor General also put out a fraud alert after his office was inundated with calls from people asking whether they should pay.
Channel 2’s Tom Jones spoke to a local criminal defense attorney who got the fake citation. She is warning people not to pay.
“Don’t pay it. Absolutely don’t pay it. Don’t scan it,” Delisa Williams said.
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When she got the fake citation, she was immediately suspicious because instead of coming through the mail, she got it through the messaging app Whatsapp.
The toll violation citation said it came from the State Court of Fulton County. It said she needs to appear in person, pay a penalty, or be arrested.
“I know that this is a scam,” she says she thought immediately.
She knew there was no Judge John Smith in Fulton, since she’s at the courthouse quite a bit. And her name and pertinent information were not listed.
“The legit notices have something with your information on it,” she explained.
She posted on social media, warning people about the scam.
“My real concern is just our seniors,” Williams said.
Fulton County Solicitor General Keith Gammage saw her post and contacted her since his office had been flooded with calls about the fake citations.
“Oh, we’ve gotten hundreds of calls just over the last couple of days,” Gammage said.
He says people from all over the country have been calling about the fake toll violation notices, and people are stopping by his office.
“In our lobby today was a lady, an elderly lady, who was here to try and figure out how she pays this toll violation,” he said.
Someone in Gammage’s office said the woman clicked on the QR code, and her phone went black.
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Gammage says the notice is full of errors. He says the address is wrong and a section of the toll code is wrong.
He says the fake document says people have to come to Fulton State Court to address the violations. He says that’s not possible.
“We don’t do toll violations at all,” he said.
Gammage is especially concerned about the QR code that’s listed as a way to pay the fake citation.
Williams says clicking on it is extremely dangerous.
“We don’t know what that QR code is doing. Is it just paying? Is it soliciting information from your phone?” she said.
Gammage is urging people to contact the office or agency that sends them any summons or citation to make sure it’s legitimate.
When Jones called the State Toll Road Authority, it has a recording saying the FBI is warning people about this scam.
The authority says Peach Pass does not solicit payment via text.
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