If you’ve gotten a text saying you owe the DMV for traffic tickets, stop right there, it’s a scam, and you’re not the only one getting hit.
Virginians are reporting a wave of shady messages that look official but are actually bogus. The text claims you’ve got unpaid traffic tickets and you need to cough up cash immediately, or face everything from a suspended license to a hit on your credit score. Some even throw in a bizarre “35% toll booth service fee” to make it sound legit.
Spoiler: it’s not.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has officially warned residents to ignore and report these messages. According to DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey, “The DMV will never send you text messages demanding payment for fines or fees.” And that includes threats about your license or vehicle registration.
So if your phone buzzes with a sketchy DMV message? Here’s what to do:
- Don’t click any links in the message.
- Don’t reply to the sender.
- Use your phone’s ‘Report Junk’ option, or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to flag it.
These scams are nothing new, but they’re getting smarter. Just a few months ago, scammers were hitting Virginians with fake messages about unpaid E-Z Pass tolls. Around the holidays, they pivoted to fake delivery updates. Now, they’re banking on the fear of losing your license to get you to hand over your info.
And they’re not just annoying, they’re dangerous. Clicking those links or responding can lead to phishing attacks that steal your personal and financial data.
If you ever want to double-check your DMV status, go directly to dmv.virginia.gov or call them, but don’t trust a scam text message out of the blue.
The bottom line? When it comes to official-looking texts demanding money, always assume it’s a scam until proven otherwise.
Stay smart. Stay skeptical. And maybe call your mom instead of texting, at least you’ll know it’s real.
