SOUTHWEST LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada State Police are warning drivers about a new scam circulating through text messages that appear highly convincing and urgent.
The alert comes after several suspicious messages were flagged to KTNV reporter Shakeria Hawkins, prompting a closer look into how widespread the scam may be.
WATCH | Nevada drivers warned about scam texts demanding payment through QR codes
The messages claim to come from a state traffic division and warn recipients about unpaid traffic violations, possible legal action, and even upcoming court dates. They then urge drivers to scan a QR code to quickly resolve the issue.
Drivers in southwest Las Vegas told KTNV the messages look believable.
“It looks pretty legit,” one driver said.
Others say the added QR code makes the scam even more convincing.
“If I was older and didn’t know any better, I’d probably scan that QR code,” another driver said.
According to Nevada Highway Patrol, that QR code is the biggest red flag.
Trooper Haggstrom, a public information officer with Nevada Highway Patrol, says scammers are using urgency and realistic-looking formats to trick people into giving up personal or financial information.
“You can tell right away that it’s fraud because it has a QR code and no other information,” Haggstrom said.
He emphasized that Nevada State Police will never demand payment or ask drivers to resolve violations through a text message or QR code.
“Always know Nevada State Police would never send a legal action notice or fine through text or ask you to resolve something through a QR code,” he added.
Some drivers say their approach is simple, ignore and delete.
“It looks legit, but as soon as it comes through a text or email, I just delete it,” one driver said.
Officials urge anyone who receives one of these messages to delete it immediately. Do not scan the QR code, click any links, or share personal information.
Report suspicious messages to: keepnevadasafe@dps.state.nv.us
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