Residents of Knox County should be aware of a scam currently circulating by text message that falsely claims to be a notice of an unpaid parking violation requiring immediate payment or providing a court date.

Officials from the Mount Vernon Municipal Court advise that these messages are fraudulent and were not issued by the Court or the Clerk of Court’s Office.

The scam messages appear to be legitimate and may include information such as:

• A reference to an alleged unpaid parking violation
• Instructions to make immediate payment, often through a link or QR code
• A listed court date with the courthouse address
• A judge’s name or an official-looking seal intended to make the notice appear authentic

However, these messages are not legitimate court communications.

John Thatcher, Judge of the Mount Vernon Municipal Court, and Lisa Mazza, Clerk of Court, want residents to know:

• The Court does not send text messages notifying individuals about unpaid tickets.
• Official court notices are sent through the U.S. mail or delivered through official court procedures.
• Individuals should not appear at the courthouse unless they have an officially scheduled court hearing.

Residents who receive one of these messages should not click on any links, scan QR codes, or submit payment.

Anyone who receives a suspicious message is encouraged to report the scam to their local law enforcement agency.

The Court encourages residents to remain vigilant and to contact the Clerk’s Office directly if they have questions about the legitimacy of a court notice.