Scam texts are evolving, but sometimes they're a little easier to spot. The latest scam going around is a DMV group text scam.
DMV scams aren’t uncommon, but the scammers often tweak a few details here and there with each iteration. The latest one going around looks a little different from the ones you’re used to ignoring. If you get a notification about a new message from the DMV in a group text, it’s probably a scam. Find out what the warning signs of this new scam are so that you can keep yourself safe.
What’s the Scam?
Like most scams of this nature, the goal is to get you to click a questionable link and send the scammers money. This one purports to be from the DMV and claims you have an “outstanding toll balance linked to your vehicle.” It generally says that you have to resolve the issue that day, or you may get your license suspended and your registration held up. It closes with a vague threat about “license suspension or other legal issues.”
How to Spot Scams Like This
There are a few red flags in this message that indicate it’s a scam right away. First of all, it might come as a group message. If you get a DMV group text, it’s safe to conclude it’s a scam. The organization would not reach out to multiple people in the same text chain about their personal infractions.
Second, the link doesn’t look quite right. Usually, the links in these types of messages include terms like “DMV” and the state you’re in, but in this case, there are also additional parts of the URL that don’t correspond to anything official.
Third, the sense of urgency is a big indicator that this message is not legitimate. I recently received a DMV group text scam. It came in at 6:44 PM on a Sunday, when the DMV is closed, and demanded that I “resolve this balance” by the end of the day. Scammers often include short deadlines like this to foster a sense of urgency. If you’re worried about losing your license if you don’t pay immediately, you may miss the indicators that the message isn’t legit.
How to Keep Yourself Safe
Even with the red flag alerts, you still might be worried about missing real communications from the DMV. Fortunately, there are easy ways to filter real communication from them out from the fake stuff. The Wisconsin DMV lays out several things you can do to keep yourself safe. “Wisconsin DMV will never text you to demand payment for a service,” the primer begins. It them goes on to list a few hallmarks of scams. In addition to the ones listed above, the Wisconsin DMV recommends watching out for messages asking for gift cards, personal information, or claiming to sell official DMV products (e.g. official documentation).
