Did you get a text message on your phone that says this or something like it? I got this text message recently, which frankly looks legitimate….
“New York Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV) Final Notice: Enforcement Penalties Begin on July 16. Our records show that as of today, you still have an outstanding traffic ticket. In accordance with New York State Administrative Code 15C-16.003, If you do not complete payment by July 15, 2025, we will take the following actions:
- Report to the DMV violation database
- Suspend your vehicle registration starting July 16
- Suspend driving privileges for 30 days
- Transfer to a toll booth and charge a 35% service fee
- You may be prosecuted and your credit score will be affected”
This looks and sounds scary. Is it legitimate?
NO, IT IS NOT LEGITIMATE. IT’S A PHISHING SCAM
DO NOT ANSWER THIS MESSAGE. DO NOT CLICK ANY LINKS. This is fake and not from the DMV, New York or elsewhere. The real NYS DMV is posting on their website to warn consumers about this fake text scam which they are clearly aware of.
https://dmv.ny.gov/news/dmv-warns-new-yorkers-to-be-wary-of-scams-seeking-personal-information
“The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is warning customers to be wary of the latest phishing scam, where bad actors seek to gain access to personal information by pretending to be from the DMV. This is the latest in a series of such text message phishing schemes that DMV has warned New Yorkers to avoid. Previous scams have claimed that E-ZPass accounts were about to be suspended. “These scammers flood phones with these texts, hoping to trick unsuspecting New Yorkers into handing over their personal information,” DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said in a statement. “DMV will not send you texts asking for your personal information.”
I knew it was fake as I don’t even have a car. So hopefully you did a search about this before doing anything and saw this or something else telling you its all scammers trying to phish information (and money) from you. Resist all urges to click on any links or give any information. Here’s a new piece about this.
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-dmv-new-jersey-scam-text
What should you do about this message? Block the sender. Delete it.
