The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office recently reported scams being sent to county residents.

Sheriff Matt Harmann says that individuals received fake court enforcement notices claiming they owed money for traffic violations. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that while these notices looked official by including the State of Iowa seal, a court date, as well as a QR code to make a payment, it was not a real document.

Harmann mentions that there are some red flags to watch out for if you do receive one of these documents, including mentions of Iowa and another state or county, demands for immediate payment, instructions to pay using a QR code or online link, and threats of license suspension, warrants or legal action if you don’t act quickly on the notice. He adds that the sheriff’s office will never send notices like this demanding payment, courts do not require payment through QR codes, and that anyone who receives a fake notice should not scan the code or send money, but instead do not respond or pay, and delete or discard the notice, and block the sender, and report the message as spam.