INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Indiana Attorney General is sending an alert to Hoosiers to beware of a scam text message claiming to be from a department that doesn’t even exist in Indiana.
Attorney General Todd Rokita said the text messages claim to be a “final notice” from the “State of Indiana Department of Vehicles (DMV)”, rather than the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. He adds that these messages aim to steal personal and financial information from the recipient.
“These scammers are nothing more than digital pickpockets trying to steal your identity or hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Rokita. “Hoosiers should remain alert of any message demanding personal information, report the message as junk, and contact their phone provider for blocking solutions.”
The Attorney General said these messages claim that the recipient has outstanding tickets and will face consequences if payment is not made.
The message goes on to say that if the payment is not completed, they will be reported to the DMV for a ticket violation, their vehicle registration will be suspended, their driving privileges will be suspended for 30 days, they will be charged a 35% service fee, they may face prosecution and will suffer potential impacts to credit scores.
Rokita recommends the following precautions to take to keep your personal information safe:
- Do not click on any links in unsolicited email or text messages claiming to be from the DMV
- Do not provide personal information, such as your driver’s license number or Social Security number.
- Do not share any card or account information through text messages or unverified links.
- Report the unwanted text messages as junk on the app you use and block the phone number or email address.
- Contact your phone provider for call/text blocking solutions. Many manufacturers have built-in features to block unwanted calls or offer apps to block and label potential spam calls. Click here for a list of resources available.
- Forward spam emails to the FTC at spam@uce.gov and report at reportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you have already given out your personal information or money through the link in one of these messages, Rokita said to file a consumer complaint immediately on the Indiana at indianaconsumer.com or call 317-232-6330.
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