Illinois Secretary of State warns against DMV text scam

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning residents of a common scam.

Messages pretending to be from the “Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles” have been circulating. The scam texts attempt to scare drivers by threatening to suspend their driving privileges and vehicle registration if they don’t pay fines.

Those messages are phishing attempts to let scammers gain unsuspecting recipient’s personal or financial information.

Giannoulias strongly warns against responding to these scam messages or opening any links in the text.

“Phishing scams are unfortunately an increasingly prevalent threat in our modern society, seeking to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “Please remain vigilant to avoid these scams and report them to protect yourself and others from falling victim to fraud schemes.”

The only text his office will send to residents are reminders of scheduled DMV appointments. No texts will be sent about any registration or driver’s licenses.

Anyone who encounters scam attempts is encouraged to report it to the Federal Trade Commission on their website.