The Maryland Judiciary is warning the public about text scams that reference a judge’s name, a clerk’s name, and a law enforcement officer’s name, directing recipients to report for a fabricated “show cause” hearing at the District Court of Maryland on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at 10 a.m. — or face penalties. Unlike some earlier versions of this scam, the current message doesn’t name a specific courthouse location.
These texts, or any variation of them, are a scam. Recipients should not click any links, scan QR codes, or provide payment or personal information. Maryland courts do not send texts requesting payment or personal information by text, telephone, or email.
This is at least the sixth such scam alert the Judiciary has issued since February, including a related telephone scam reported just two days earlier, on Aug. 5, in which callers using a cloned Somerset County District Court phone number demanded thousands of dollars to “close” a fake case. Past versions of the text scam have used fake QR codes and threatened bench warrants, license suspension, or added fines for failing to respond.
Anyone with questions about a potential scam can contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division hotline at 410-528-8662 or toll-free at 888-743-0023. Scams and suspicious communications can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
For any legitimate court-related question, contact the District Court or circuit court in your local jurisdiction. Contact information for every Maryland court is available under “Directory of Courts” on the Judiciary’s website.
