This article from Spokeo will help you heed those warnings and learn to steer clear of the newest DMV scam scammers have cooked up.
How to put the brakes on the latest DMV text scam
First, it was fake parking ticketsthen toll road scamsnow scammers are at it again with an all-new, all-bad DMV text scam. The unfortunate popularity of this latest outrage has prompted states from New York, Florida and Georgia to Illinois, New Jersey and beyond to issue official warnings.
This article Spokeo: will help you heed those warnings and learn how to steer clear of the latest DMV scam to be conned. Because getting ripped off by a fake DMV might be the only thing worse than standing in line at a real DMV.
How the latest DMV text scam works
This DMV scam it all starts with a text from scam artists posing as a legitimate DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles, for those who haven’t had the pleasure). While the wording and small details of the message may vary, as scammers are unfortunately sometimes creative, the content is usually consistent.
In most cases, the DMV text scam uses an official sounding tone to warn potential victims that they are at risk of a serious penalty if they don’t pay a ticket fee or the appropriate traffic fine to their respective state’s DMV, pronto. That punishment could be a suspension of their driver’s license, suspension of vehicle registration, toll fees, additional charges, a hit to the victim’s credit score, or even legal. criminal prosecution.
Regardless, the intent is the same, and it’s a tactic consistently used by scammers since the dawn of their existence; motivate potential victims to action (ie give the scammer what they want) by using threats and a sense of urgency.
Sure enough, the text includes a link that claims to lead to the victim’s state DMV payment portal. What this link actually leads to, however, is this sketch site created by the authors of the fraud. Disguised as a real DMV website, it may ask you to pay directly online or direct you to fill out a form asking you for all kinds of personal information. In the first case, you will pay the scammers and hand over your payment method information. In the second, you will give them the information they need to steal your identity and steal your money.
Alternatively, following the link can simply infect your device with malware that can also extract valuable information from your device to commit financial fraud.
DMV Scam Red Flags:
Oftentimes, DMV scam texts include all kinds of little touches to make them look official. In addition to a list of bogus consequences, the text usually includes a deadline and execution date, as well as fictitious administrative codes. Despite this type of trickery, there are many red flags that give this text away as a DMV scam.
Here is the most important thing. state DMVs do not request information or money via text, according to the Federal Trade Commission. So if you get a text asking someone from the DMV, it’s definitely a DMV scam text.
Also, while a scam text link may look legitimate, it often prevents the recipient from clicking the link directly from the text message, instead prompting them to reply with “Y” and then copy the link into their browser (because the link you’ll actually copy is slightly different from the official-looking link in the text).
What to do if you receive a DMV scam text?
First, don’t follow any text link that you might even remotely suspect is a DMV scam text. You probably already understand that part, but here are some other steps you can take:
- Block the number immediately. If your device has a “report spam” or “mark as spam” option, go ahead and do that too.
- If you are at all worried that a real state DMV might be trying to contact you, look up their real phone number and call them to make sure you don’t owe anything and that they aren’t actually trying to contact you.
- Likewise, if you want to be extra sure you’re not dealing with the real DMV, paste that DMV scam text phone number reverse phone lookup tool
- To be a good Samaritan, you can copy and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) or report the details to: reportfraud.ftc.gov help prevent others from being scammed in the future.
FAQ about DMV Scam Texts
This latest shakedown is a variant of phishing, the age-old scam of “fishing” for your personal information or money by posing as a legitimate company, person or entity known as “smishing“, which is just phishing via text. And while phishing is well known at this point, the internet still has a lot of questions about the new DMV scam text racket of 2025.
Does the DMV ever send text messages?
No, the DMV does not send text messages. While you can get automatic reminders about appointments and the like if you willingly sign up for them, no DMV in the country sends payment demands, violation warnings, or enforcement notices via text message.
Where is the DMV text scam?
Pretty nationwide. As of the end of August 2025, reports have been approved in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and elsewhere.
What happens if you reply to a scam text?
Basically, you’re opening yourself up to a scam. Answering shows the scammer that they are live, a real person who may be willing to communicate with them on the other side. And once they get you, they’ll fish for any information or money they can get. It’s okay to block and report sightings.
Think of it this way. on the other hand, dealing with scammers brings you one step closer to the one place in the country worse than the real DMV: the scam DMV.
This story was produced Spokeo: and revised and distributed Stacker.
