During the last few months, we’ve lined the upward push of phishing scams throughout the United States. Now, a well-liked new variant on E-ZPass toll scams is making the rounds once more: scammy SMS messages focused on drivers below the guise of reliable DMV notices. Those DMV textual content scams appear to be all over the place the rustic.
First of all, Departments of Motor Cars in huge states like California, Florida, and New York issued public warnings about fraudulent texts claiming to constitute their places of work. The textual content messages allege that drivers owe unpaid tolls or have remarkable tickets, and in the event that they don’t pay up, they’re threatened with credit score injury, lack of their motive force’s license, and even legal prosecution. In contemporary weeks, Google Traits information means that those rip-off texts have spiked in different states, together with Utah, Colorado, and Illinois.
A extra troubling element is the use (or misuse) of state-specific prison codes to extend credibility. Many of the examples observed on-line display the similar code: “15C-16.003,” which is an actual statute in Florida in relation to automobile insurance coverage, however which additionally seems in messages despatched to New Yorkers, the place no such code exists.
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State companies don’t use textual content messages to ship prison notices or accumulate fines, however the rip-off continues to be unexpectedly gaining traction.
Those DMV scams appear moderately very similar to the E-ZPass rip-off texts that experience additionally proliferated in 2025. Scammers depend on exploiting confusion and focused on people who are much less aware of virtual threats, ceaselessly the aged or those that aren’t tech-savvy. That is why the messages are occasionally stuffed with shoddy grammar and simply verifiable errors — scammers do not need to waste time on individuals who know higher. The hot DMV price tag scams additionally use words like “DMV Ultimate Realize,” which will increase urgency and makes other people act prior to they’ve time to assume obviously.
Among the finest protection in opposition to those scams is inconspicuous:
What states are suffering from DMV rip-off texts?
Since we first reported in this rip-off, we are nonetheless seeing it unfold around the nation. In truth, Mashable lately named it probably the most most sensible web scams of 2025. Underneath, we have created a working checklist of states apparently seeing a upward push in DMV scams, the use of Google Traits information and native information reviews.
Pennsylvania DMV rip-off texts
Pennsylvania has reportedly observed a upward push in DMV rip-off texts over the summer season of 2025, such a lot in order that the lawyer normal issued a caution.
“It’s disappointing to peer other people seeking to rip-off Pennsylvanians via pretending to be affiliated with the Pennsylvania Division of Motor Cars,” Legal professional Basic Dave Sunday wrote in a observation closing month. “PennDOT does now not ship textual content messages about site visitors violations or fines. Customers who obtain a textual content message or electronic mail from somebody alleging to be from a central authority company must achieve out to that company to substantiate the authenticity of such a message.”
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Sunday introduced the standard recommendation: Don’t click on any hyperlinks and document the message as junk mail.
Colorado DMV rip-off texts
Colorado’s DMV issued a identical caution that it used to be seeing a upward push in a majority of these rip-off texts. Like maximum different reliable entities, it warned about now not clicking hyperlinks or responding to the texts. If Coloradans are anxious they are going to have an actual parking or site visitors quotation, the DMV wrote that they must, “touch the Colorado DMV at once thru its reliable website online at dmv.colorado.gov or via telephone at (303) 205-5600.”
Iowa DMV rip-off texts
Iowa, too, has observed a upward push in those varieties of scams.
The state’s DMV wrote:
“Fraudulent textual content messages showing to come back from the Iowa DOT or “DMV” are focused on recipients with false claims of unpaid site visitors violations. Persons are additionally receiving fraudulent Iowa DOT-generated textual content messages pointing out that they’ve an unpaid toll or registration charge. Each varieties of texts ask recipients to click on on a hyperlink to supply non-public data in addition to bank card numbers. Time and again, the hyperlink will result in a website online that appears just like the Iowa DOT’s website online.”
To be transparent, the state’s DMV does now not ship charge assortment reminders by the use of textual content and does now not ask for monetary data. Native information station KCRG reported that the scams had proliferated all through a large number of counties all through the state — so it is best to be cautious of such a messages.
Washington WSDOT rip-off texts
There was a upward push in texts falsely claiming to be from the Washington State Division of Transportation (WSDOT). Those scams are just like the others around the country. Particularly, WSDOT wrote in a press liberate it has observed rip-off messages directing other people to a faux model of its Excellent to Pass! carrier.
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WSDOT famous that folks may just report reviews of the rip-off texts with the FBI or FTC.
Nevada DMV textual content scams
Like many different states, Nevada has it sounds as if observed a upward push in DMV textual content scams.
Nevada Division of Transportation warned, “New rip-off texts are making the rounds pretending to be from NDOT or the DMV. The message within the symbol isn’t reputable.”
As KLAS reported, those faux texts ceaselessly warn those that that is their “ultimate understand,” growing a pretend sense of urgency. In case you obtain such a rip-off messages, don’t click on any hyperlinks, delete the message, and document it as junk.
Extra states suffering from DMV textual content scams
After we initially reported in this tale, we known a spike in Google searches for DMV and/or toll textual content scams in Florida, New York, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Utah.
And in our earlier reporting on E-ZPass scams, we known that scammers have been impersonating state companies such: Peach Move in Georgia, The Texas DMV and Division of Transportation, Maryland’s DriveEzMD carrier, and the DC DMV.
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Subjects
Cybersecurity
Scams
