DMV Scam Returns to the Region
Scam text messages claim drivers have unpaid fines and face losing their license.
By Hank Silverberg
CORRESPONDENT
Email Hank
A warning is out again for residents in the Fredericksburg region about an old scam that has resurfaced.
The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office says the scammers are sending out text messages claiming to be from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The so-called “phishing” scam is a text claiming the driver has outstanding fines and that they face having their license and registration suspended or possible prosecution if the fines are not paid via a link.
The message reads “Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Final Notice: Enforcement Penalties Begin March 6, Pay Now,” followed by the link.
Do not click the link. It’s someone trying to get your bank information or credit card number. The Sheriff’s Office says that the DMV will never attempt to collect a fine via text message or email.
Several people in Caroline County have gotten this text over the last week or so. It re-surfaces from time to time throughout Virginia and elsewhere in the country.
If you receive the text, you should delete it. If you click on it by mistake, contact your bank to monitor your accounts.
Last year, a similar scam surfaced in the Fredericksburg area involving claimed unpaid E-ZPass tolls.
The Federal Trade Commission says “phishing” using text messages has grown steadily over the last few years. Consumers were bilked out of $470 million this way in 2024.
The FTC says you can report the scam by forwarding the text to 7726 (SPAM) before deleting it. This will prompt your wireless provider to block similar messages from this particular scammer.
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