Sheriff Warns of Fake Traffic Citation Notices Circulating Across Georgia

SUBHEAD: The convincing scam documents include official-looking hearing dates and citation numbers, and threaten fines or license suspension to pressure victims into compliance.

BYLINE: Woodstock Wire Staff

SOURCE: [Cherokee Sheriff's Office Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/311201241200151/posts/1249927697327496)

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a statewide scam involving fraudulent traffic citation hearing notices that officials say look convincingly real, complete with hearing dates, citation numbers, and threats of fines or license suspension.

The bogus notices have been circulating across Georgia, and authorities say the official appearance of the documents makes them especially dangerous. The goal, as with most such schemes, is to pressure recipients into clicking a link, submitting payment, or handing over personal information before they stop to question whether the notice is legitimate.

The Sheriff's Office is urging anyone who receives one of these notices to resist that pressure. Do not click any links included in the document, and do not send money or personal information in response.

The safest course of action, according to the Sheriff's Office, is to go directly to the source. Residents who receive a notice and want to confirm whether it's real should contact their local court using contact information pulled from an official government website, not from anything printed on the notice itself.

Cherokee County residents with questions about a notice they've received can reach out to the Sheriff's Office directly. Authorities are also asking residents to share the warning with neighbors, family members, and anyone else who might be vulnerable, because the scam's effectiveness depends on people not knowing it exists.