Brandon J. Patty
St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Jan. 29, 2022 —St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Brandon J. Patty is warning residents about a scam involving text messages claiming to be from the Clerk of Courts.
In one example (pictured) provided by a St. Johns County resident, the text reads, “MSG on behalf of the St. Johns County Clerk of Courts; Reply YES for balance. Tap msbpay.com/qp?=(number) for more info; To OptOut reply STOP.”
The text suggests that the recipient has failed to pay a fine or fee to the Clerk’s office, and the unpaid balance has been forwarded to a debt collection agency. Please do not respond to the text, and do not click on the link.
If you have an unpaid fine or fee that has been forwarded to a debt collection agency, please call the Clerk’s Office first at 904-819-3600 to verify the agency that is handling your case. You may also visit our website at stjohnsclerk.com/courts/traffic-parking/collections/ for information and authentic telephone numbers for collection agencies with whom we do business.
If you have received a scam text, please report the incident to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 866-9NO-SCAM (866-966-7226) or by filing a complaint online at myfloridalegal.com/consumeralert.