DMV Text Scam is going around

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office would like residents to be aware of a scam that is going around. According to officials, they have received numerous reports of a text scam that gives the impression that the information is coming from the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Law Enforcement is aware of this scam and urges residents not to reply to the messages.

The messages being sent claim to be from the DMV and state the recipient is in violation of Minnesota State Administrative Code 15C-16.003 related to an outstanding ticket. The text message includes deadline dates to pay to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes. The message asks the recipient to “Reply Y and re-open this message to click the link, or copy the link into a browser.”

The Sheriff’s Office urges you not to reply in any way to these messages. Delete the text.

The Federal Trade Commission says scammers send fake text messages to people to try and trick them into clicking on links or give personal information that they can use to gain access to email, bank information, and other accounts. These bad actors could also sell this information to other scammers.

What to watch out for:

• Promises of free gifts or prizes. Even coupons
• Offers of a low or no interest credit card
• Offers to help pay off student loans and other debts
• Claim they have noticed suspicious activity on your account
• Claim there is a problem with a previous payment
• Send a fake invoice, or ask you to contact them about a purchase
• Send a notice of a failed package delivery

The FTC says these messages may ask for personal information — like how much money you make, how much you owe, or your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number in order to claim your gift or pursue an offer. They might tell you to click on a link to learn more about the issue. Some links might take you to a spoofed website that looks real but isn’t. If you log in, the scammers then might steal your username and password.

Some scam links can also install harmful malware on your phone that steals your personal or financial information.

The FTC says if you get a text message that you weren’t expecting, do not click on any links. Be extra careful with texts (or emails) and links asking for personal or financial information.

If you think the text message is real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Do not use the information through the original text.

You can report Spam Text Messages:

• Copy the meassage and forward it to 7726 (SPAM) This helps your wireless provide spot and block similar messages in the future
• Report it on the messaging app you use. Look for the option to report junk or spam
• Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov