Massive DMV phishing scam tricks drivers with fake texts

If you've received a substance connection claiming to beryllium from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and threatening you with fines oregon penalties unless you wage up, you're not alone. A caller question of scam texts is sweeping crossed the country, targeting drivers successful states similar Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Vermont, Texas, North Carolina and adjacent Washington, D.C.

These messages look authoritative and urgent, informing you astir expected unpaid tickets oregon tolls and demanding contiguous payment. But don't beryllium fooled, arsenic these texts are blase scams designed to bargain your idiosyncratic accusation oregon money. 

The scammers are getting amended astatine making their messages look real, truthful it tin beryllium tricky to spot the fraud. But with a fewer elemental tips, you tin larn however to admit these scams and support yourself earlier you click oregon respond.

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DMV scam text. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

How the DMV scam substance connection works

These scam messages alteration somewhat depending connected the authorities you're in, but they’re mostly structured successful the aforesaid way. The substance threatens consequences, specified arsenic recognition people damage, revoked driving privileges, suspended conveyance registration oregon accrued toll fees, if you bash not wage the measure you person supposedly incurred. To marque the connection look legit, the scammers often see a day for penalties to begin, a fake administrative codification and a nexus that appears to beryllium an authoritative DMV website.

FBI WARNS OF SCAM TARGETING VICTIMS WITH FAKE HOSPITALS AND POLICE

Pro tip: If you're instructed to transcript the nexus into your browser alternatively than clicking it directly, it's a scam.

A idiosyncratic receiving a scam substance connection connected their phone. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

DON’T CLICK THAT LINK! HOW TO SPOT AND PREVENT PHISHING ATTACKS IN YOUR INBOX

Why DMV substance scams are truthful convincing

The scam relies connected 2 cardinal elements to beryllium effective: fear and a consciousness of urgency. These are 2 almighty intelligence motivators that tin nonstop you into a panic since your driving privileges are astatine risk, oregon you're facing fiscal consequences. The purpose is to get you to enactment hastily without pausing to verify the source. The messages besides mimic morganatic authorities communications by including acquainted terms, official-sounding codes and web addresses that look authentic. Here is an illustration of what the substance mightiness look like:

DMV scam text. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

NEW PHISHING SCAM OUTSMARTS SECURITY CODES TO STEAL YOUR INFO

States known to person issued warnings astir DMV scam texts (as of June 2025):

• Connecticut
• Pennsylvania
• Georgia
• Florida
• New York
• California
• Illinois
• New Jersey
• Virginia
• Colorado
• Vermont
• Texas
• North Carolina
• Washington, D.C.

Reports are surfacing crossed the U.S., and the database of affected states is apt to proceed increasing arsenic much residents travel forward.

How to spot and debar DMV substance connection scams

If you person a suspicious substance connection claiming to beryllium from your state's DMV and demanding outgo oregon idiosyncratic information, travel these steps to support yourself:

1. Be skeptical of immoderate connection creating urgency oregon panic: Scammers trust connected fearfulness and urgency to instrumentality you into acting without thinking. If a connection pressures you to enactment immediately, that's a large reddish flag.

2. Check for evident reddish flags: Look for signs similar unusual sender addresses, awkward language, misspellings oregon links that don't lucifer your state's authoritative DMV website.

3. Do not click immoderate links oregon reply, and usage beardown antivirus software: Legitimate DMVs volition not inquire for payments, idiosyncratic details oregon delicate accusation via unsolicited substance messages. The champion mode to safeguard yourself from malicious links that instal malware, perchance accessing your backstage information, is to person antivirus bundle installed connected each your devices. This extortion tin besides alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your idiosyncratic accusation and integer assets safe. Get my picks for the champion 2025 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. 

4. Verify straight with your DMV: If you're acrophobic the connection mightiness beryllium real, interaction your state's DMV utilizing the authoritative website oregon a trusted telephone number. Never usage the interaction accusation provided successful the suspicious text.

5. Consider a Personal Data Removal Service: Your idiosyncratic accusation is wide disposable online, which tin marque you a bigger people for these types of scams, truthful you mightiness look into a idiosyncratic information removal service. These services enactment by submitting opt-out requests to information brokers that cod and merchantability your information, helping to trim your integer footprint and making it harder for scammers to find your interaction details. 

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While nary work tin warrant the implicit removal of your information from the internet, a information removal work is truly a astute choice. They aren’t inexpensive — and neither is your privacy.  These services bash each the enactment for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your idiosyncratic accusation from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives maine bid of caput and has proven to beryllium the astir effectual mode to erase your idiosyncratic information from the internet.  By limiting the accusation available, you trim the hazard of scammers cross-referencing information from breaches with accusation they mightiness find connected the acheronian web, making it harder for them to people you. Check retired my apical picks for information removal services here.

6. Delete the connection instantly and artifact the sender: Removing the substance helps forestall accidental clicks and reduces the hazard of falling for the scam later. Also, beryllium definite to block telephone numbers and texts that nonstop spam oregon scam messages, reducing aboriginal risk.

7. Register your fig with the National Do Not Call Registry: While this won't halt each scams, it tin assistance trim unwanted communications.

8. Don't supply immoderate idiosyncratic oregon fiscal information: Never stock your Social Security number, driver's licence number, banking information, oregon passwords successful effect to an unsolicited text.

9. If you clicked the nexus oregon gave retired information, enactment quickly: If you accidentally entered idiosyncratic oregon fiscal information, interaction your bank, recognition paper supplier oregon section instrumentality enforcement close distant to minimize imaginable damage.

10. Keep your phone's information features updated: Ensure your device's operating strategy and information bundle are current to assistance artifact known scam numbers and malicious links.

11. Report the scam: Forward the connection to 7726 (SPAM) to alert your mobile supplier and assistance artifact akin messages successful the future. Mark the connection arsenic junk oregon spam wrong your messaging app, if possible. File a ailment with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov oregon the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE "APPLE ID SUSPENDED" PHISHING SCAM

Kurt’s cardinal takeaways

Scam texts pretending to beryllium from the DMV are getting much convincing, but you don't person to beryllium their adjacent victim. Staying skeptical of urgent messages, double-checking thing that seems disconnected and ne'er clicking suspicious links tin spell a agelong mode successful protecting your idiosyncratic information. Remember, the existent DMV volition ne'er unit you for outgo oregon delicate details implicit text. By staying alert, you tin assistance forestall these scams and support your idiosyncratic accusation and wealth secure.

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Should tech companies and telecom providers beryllium doing much to support you from scam texts, oregon does the work yet autumn connected you to support your integer beingness safe? Let america cognize by penning to america at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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