BBB Scam Alert: Traffic ticket phishing texts

(BBB) — Better Business Bureau® advises consumers to be on the lookout for fake text messages that appear to be from a government agency stating that you have an outstanding traffic ticket.

Read more or hear from BBB Regional Director Pamela Hernandez below:

BBB has received several reports about phishing texts that appear to be from your state’s Department of Revenue, Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Transportation.

The texts will say you have an outstanding traffic violation and will make the issue seem urgent by using phrases like “final notice” or listing a date that “enforcement” will start. They’ll threaten serious penalties like suspension of your registration and extra fees if the ticket is not paid quickly via a link in the message.

If you receive a message like this, don’t click on the link or pay. MoDoT, the Missouri Department of Revenue, and IDOT have all warned that they will never solicit consumers to pay a toll fee or traffic violation fee via text message.

In April, BBB warned about a similar scam in which people received phishing texts that appeared to be unpaid toll notices from road toll agencies.

“These traffic ticket phishing texts are very similar to the road toll phishing texts that are often reported to BBB,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “Government agencies won’t text you to ask you to pay a fee. Never click the link in the text, and always double check by looking up the contact information for the actual agency.”

How do I know if a text about a traffic ticket is a scam?

• Check with the actual agency.Remember that government agencies won’t contact you by text message to pay for a traffic violation. Don’t click the link or call the number in the text! Instead, go to your web browser, find the official website for the agency the message appears to be from, and contact them directly.
• Keep track of your tickets. It’s an immediate red flag if you know you have no tickets but receive a text message anyway. In Missouri and Illinois, you can do an online search to check if you have any current tickets.
• Know the warning signs of a fake text.Unsolicited texts with suspicious links or grammar and spelling errors could be cause for concern. A personalized message or legit-looking link doesn’t mean the text is safe – scammers are good at finding personal info and spoofing websites.

How can I avoid phishing texts?

• Don’t give out personal information. Requests to provide information like your birthday or Social Security number should be red flags.
• Don’t click on links or download files that are unexpectedly texted to you. It may be hard to tell if a link sent in a text message is safe. Scammers often use fake URLs that look like legitimate websites’ URLs.
• Block the number and delete the message.Refusing to engage and blocking the phone number can help prevent scammers from contacting you again.
• Report the text. You can help protect others by reporting scam texts to BBB Scam Tracker and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).