Millions of mobile phone users are receiving texts claiming to be from their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. These DMV text scams threaten to suspend the recipient’s license or revoke a vehicle’s registration unless immediate payment is made.
This is just the latest attempt among many of scammers to make a quick dollar.
Let’s be as clear as possible. No government agency will ask for either payment or your personal information via text.Jeff Taylor, Regions Bank head of Commercial Fraud Forensics
As Jeff Taylor, Regions Bank head of Commercial Fraud Forensics, pointed out, text messages are not how any government organization will notify an individual.
“Let’s be as clear as possible. No government agency will ask for either payment or your personal information via text.”
DMV text scams – What action should you take?
If you receive a DMV text scam, the Federal Trade Commission offers the following advice:
- Never respond to a text or click any links.
- If you feel it important to verify the message, contact your state agency using a trusted telephone number or website. Do not call any number provided in the text message.
- Copy the text message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). That helps your wireless provider’s ongoing efforts to spot and block similar messages.
- Report the DMV text scam on the messaging app you use. Look for the option to report junk or spam.
- Report the text to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov and/or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Compliant Center at ic3.gov.
Urgent requests = red flag
Above all, as Taylor noted, don’t fall prey to any message demanding immediate action.
“A key tactic of scammers is to create panic by promising severe consequences for not responding right away. That makes it so important for you to pause and ask yourself, ‘Does this request make sense?’ And the answer to that is always, ‘No.’”
A key tactic of scammers is to create panic by promising severe consequences for not responding right away.Jeff Taylor
In short, steer clear of fake text notifications from anyone claiming to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles – or any other government agency for that matter. And alert family and friends to this threat as well.
That way, when everybody does their part, we make the road a lot harder for scammers.
See more fraud prevention articles on Doing More Today.