Scam Alert: How to Immediately Block & Report the Latest DMV Text Phishing Attack

How to Curb the Latest DMV Text Scam

First of all, it was fake parking ticketsThan toll road fraudnow scammers are at it again with a brand new, totally bad DMV texting scam. The unfortunate popularity of this latest horror has led to states from New York, Florida and Georgia to Illinois, New Jersey and beyond issuing official warnings.

This article from Spokeo will help you heed these warnings and learn to steer clear of the latest DMV scam that crooks have concocted. Because getting ripped off by the fake DMV might be the only thing worse than standing in line at the real DMV.

How the Latest DMV Text Scam Works

This DMV scams it all starts with a text message from scammers posing as the 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 (because unfortunately scammers can sometimes be creative), the content is usually consistent.

In most cases, the DMV text scam uses very official-sounding language to warn potential victims that they are at risk of a serious fine if they do not immediately pay the ticket fee or related traffic fine to their respective state’s DMV. That punishment could include driver’s license suspension, suspended vehicle registration, tolls, additional fees, a hit to the victim’s credit score, or even legal action. persecution.

Either way, the intent is the same, and it’s a tactic that has been used consistently by scammers since the beginning of their existence: to get potential victims to take action (i.e., give scammers what they want) by making threats and applying an urgent sense of pressure.

Naturally, the text contains a link that claims to lead to a payment portal for the victim’s DMV. However, what this link actually leads to is a sketchy website created by the perpetrators of the scam. Disguised as a real DMV site, it may ask you to pay directly online or ask you to fill out a form asking for all kinds of private information. Initially, you pay the scammers and hand over the data associated with your payment method. In the second case, you give them the information they need to potentially commit identity theft and steal your money.

Alternatively, following the link may infect your device with malware, which can also extract valuable information from your device to commit financial fraud.

Red flags for DMV scams

Often DMV scam texts include all kinds of little details to make them look official. In addition to a list of false consequences, the text usually contains an expiration date and an implementation date, and made-up administrative codes. Despite this kind of cunning, there are plenty of warning signs that give this text away as a DMV scam.

Here’s the big one: According to the Federal Trade Commission, state DMVs don’t solicit information or money via text message. So if you receive a text asking for one of these from the DMV, that is definitely a DMV scam text.

Additionally, while the link in the scam text may look legitimate, it often does not allow the recipient to click the link directly from the text message. Instead, he or she is asked to respond with “Y” and then copy the link to their browser (because the link you actually copy is slightly different from the official-looking link in the text).

What to do if you receive a DMV scam text message

First, don’t follow the link in text that you even remotely suspect is DMV scam text. You probably already figured that part out, but here are some other steps you can take:

• Block the number immediately. If your device has the option to ‘report spam’ or ‘mark as spam’, you can do that too.
• If you are concerned that the state DMV may be trying to contact you, find their real phone number and call them to make sure you don’t owe anything, and that they are not actually trying to contact you.
• Likewise, if you want to be extra sure you’re not dealing with the authentic DMV, paste that DMV scam text message phone number into a reverse phone lookup tool.
• To be a Good Samaritan, you can copy the text and forward it to the number 7726 (SPAM) or report the data at reportfraud.ftc.gov to prevent others from being scammed in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions About DMV Scam Texts

This latest shakedown is a variation of phishing – the age-old scam of “fishing” for your private information or money by pretending to be a legitimate company, person or organization – known as “enjoy”, which is simply text message phishing. And while phishing is common knowledge at this point, there are still many questions on the Internet about the new DMV scam text fraud of 2025.

Does the RDW ever send text messages?

No, the RDW does not send text messages. While you may receive automated reminders for appointments and the like if you voluntarily opt in, no DMV in the country sends payment requests, violation alerts, or enforcement notices via text message.

Where is the DMV text scam?

Almost rural. As of late August 2025, reports have been confirmed 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 beyond.

What happens if you respond to a scam text message?

In short, you open yourself up to scams. By responding, the scammer indicates that he has a real person on the hook, a real person who might be willing to communicate with him on the other end of the line. And once they get you, they start phishing for any information or money they can get their hands on. It is best to block and report on the spot.

Think of it this way: connecting with the scammers on the other side puts you one step closer to the only place on earth worse than the real DMV: the scam DMV.

This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.