A flurry of unsolicited scam texts about unpaid traffic tickets are pinging phones across Illinois.
The false messages — labeled “final notice” — urge people to pay up before their licenses are suspended, their credit scores are dinged and they are prosecuted.
The texts claim to be from a nonexistent “Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles.”
“This is a phishing scam,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias warned this week.
“If you receive one of these fake, unsolicited texts, do not respond to it or click on any links,” Giannoulias said in a video statement. “These phony texts are designed to trick you into giving up personal or financial information, which can lead to identity theft or fraud.”
Giannoulias’ office said it does not send text messages regarding vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses. The Secretary of State’s office only sends text messages to remind residents about scheduled DMV appointments.
Scam attempts can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Earlier this year, the Illinois Tollway warned about scam texts claiming that drivers owed unpaid tolls. That came months after widespread reports of scam messages related to 2024 election campaigning.
