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Did you get a DMV outstanding traffic ticket text? Is it a scam? Here's everything to know
Thousands of people across Indiana received a text from the Indiana Department of Vehicles about reported outstanding traffic tickets
Thousands of people across Indiana received a text from the ‘Indiana Department of Vehicles’ about reported outstanding traffic tickets. The text asks the user to ‘pay immediately before enforcement to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes’. As locals panicked after receiving such a warning, we decided to investigate what the truth is.
Here's the text Indiana residents received this week:
The message states that the Indiana Department of Vehicles is providing a ‘final notice’ of enforcement penalties about outstanding traffic tickets. It further warns that the department could:
Report to the DMV violation database
Suspect your vehicle registration starting on June 7
Suspend driving privileges for 30 days
Transfer to a toll both and charge a 35% service fee
Prosecution and credit score impacted
The message also includes a IN.GOV webpage, asking user to pay penalties immediately. Similar texts were received in Virginia too. The DMV there warned that these messages were part of a scam.
“The DMV will never send you text messages demanding payment for fines or fees,” DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey said. “We urge our customers to be vigilant and avoid sending your personal information via text.”
Ted Bohner, a public information officer for the Indiana State Police for the Bremen District, said that the texts are ‘100% scam’.
“Scams use fear and urgency and this scam is no different,” Bohner’s post read. “Do not fall for this.”
Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid falling for a text scam like this:
Don’t click on any links in, or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.
Check to see if the text is legit. Reach out to the agency using a phone number or website you know is real — not the info from the text.
Report and delete unwanted text messages. Use your phone’s “report junk” option to report unwanted texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM). Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the text.
