That text about an overdue traffic ticket is probably a scam

Chances are, you’ve gotten a scam text about unpaid toll charges or know someone who has. Now scammers are going even further and pretending to be the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from states all over the country. They insist that you pay for an “overdue traffic ticket” and threaten to suspend your driving privileges (among other things) if you don’t. Here’s how the scam works.

An unexpected text looks like it’s from your state’s DMV, claiming you have an overdue traffic ticket. It might include a link to pay and warn that, if you don’t pay immediately, they’ll report you to the “DMV violation database,” suspend your vehicle registration, license, and driving privileges, and charge you an additional 35% service fee. The text might even threaten to prosecute you and tank your credit score — but it’s all a scam to get your money and personal information.

To avoid a text scam like this:

• Don’t click on any links in, or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly to get your personal information before you realize it’s a scam. Stop and talk to someone you trust.
• Reach out to your DMV if you’re worried. Use 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.

Learn more about spotting and avoiding text scams at ftc.gov/textscams. And report them to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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