Dubuque Police Warn of Persistent Traffic/Toll Violation Scams

The Dubuque Police Department took to Facebook to inform the public about an ongoing scam involving traffic and toll violations that's been brought to their attention by residents repeatedly.

Scams are prevalent all around the country, and unfortunately Iowa is no exception. In 2024, I wrote about how Iowans have become increasingly victim to a plethora of different scams. Below is a table that shows some of the most common in the state.

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The Top 10 Most Common Scams in Iowa:

Rank	Category of fraud	Number of reports in 2023	Percentage of all reports
1.	Imposter Scams	4,602	19%
2.	Identity Theft	4,468	19%
3.	Online Shopping and Negative Reviews	2,180	9%
4.	Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users	1,449	6%
5.	Banks and Lenders	1,212	5%
6.	Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries	1,011	4%
7.	Auto Related	768	3%
8.	Debt Collection	661	3%
9.	Internet Services	639	3%
10.	Health Care	620	3%

The Latest Scam to Look for in Dubuque:

The Dubuque Police wanted to make the public aware that scams involving "very realistic looking documentation" regarding traffic and/or toll violations have become prevalent in recent months:

We have received numerous reports of yet another scam involving very realistic looking documentation which threatens legal penalties for traffic and/or toll violations. THESE ARE NOT LEGITIMATE! Please use caution when receiving any and all text messages, phone calls, emails, teletypes, faxes, pages, or handwritten notes asking you for personal information or money! Trust your gut! If something seems off, delete and block the number or hang up the phone! - per the Dubuque Police Department's Facebook page

You can find out how to spot traffic and/or toll scams on the FCC's website, and stay up to date with the Dubuque Police Department's Facebook for any future updates.