Illinois Secretary of State warns against DMV text scam
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning residents of a common scam.
Messages pretending to be from the 'Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles' have been circulating. The scam texts attempt to scare drivers by threatening to suspend their driving privileges and vehicle registration if they don't pay fines.
Scammers using confusion amid Trump's tariffs to trick consumers
Those messages are phishing attempts to let scammers gain unsuspecting recipient's personal or financial information.
Giannoulias strongly warns against responding to these scam messages or opening any links in the text.
'Phishing scams are unfortunately an increasingly prevalent threat in our modern society, seeking to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,' Giannoulias said in a statement. 'Please remain vigilant to avoid these scams and report them to protect yourself and others from falling victim to fraud schemes.'
The only text his office will send to residents are reminders of scheduled DMV appointments. No texts will be sent about any registration or driver's licenses.
Anyone who encounters scam attempts is encouraged to report it to the Federal Trade Commission on their website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bill banning AI therapy bots in Illinois awaits signature
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois could soon require humans to be in charge of all therapy sessions. The Illinois Legislature passed a bill to the governor's desk that would ban the use of therapy offered by Artificial Intelligence. Mental health professionals would also only be able to use AI transcriptions of sessions if the patient consents to it. Illinois bill ending scam gym membership tactic heads to governor's desk The National Association for Social Workers said while artificial intelligence could be a promising tool in the future, right now it is not bound by ethics. 'These AI chat bots, even though you can try to program as best as you can, they're not human,' said Kyle Hillman, the legislative director for NASW-IL. 'They don't have that interaction they don't have that kind of response. And so, they're influenced by what kind of data comes into those products and that influence is changing the biases towards, I think, dangerous conservations.' Durbin pushes to pass DACA bill ahead of 13th anniversary The bill's House sponsor said guardrails need to be set in stone before technology advances too far. 'Our behavioral healthcare system cannot afford to be replaced by unqualified chatbots with no malpractice liability,' Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) said in a news release. 'By explicitly laying out what AI technology can and cannot be used for, patients are better protected, providers can continue delivering critical access to care, and treatment plans remain transparent between the client and professional.' If signed into law, Illinois would be the first state to ban these chatbots. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Durbin pushes to pass DACA bill ahead of 13th anniversary
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Sunday is the 13th anniversary of the DACA program. Senator Dick Durbin is spearheading the movement to turn the executive order into law. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals allows undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children protection from deportation. The program has helped more than 800,000 young people. 'They've gone to our schools, they've stood up every morning in the classroom and pledged allegiance to the same flag we pledge allegiance, and they aspire to be great and make America a greater country,' Durbin (D-IL) said at a news conference Wednesday. Illinois bill ending scam gym membership tactic heads to governor's desk The senior senator from Illinois is one of the biggest supporters of the program. He first introduced a bill on the senate floor in 2001 but has not been successful codifying it into law.'Sometimes we'd pass it in the Senate, but the House wouldn't,' Durbin said. 'Sometimes we couldn't get 60 votes, sometimes we could.' President Barack Obama enacted the program with an executive order in 2012. Critics said implementing it was an overreach of Obama's powers. 'The program essentially rewards parents for bringing their children to the United States illegally,' Ira Mehlman, the Media Director for Federation for American Immigration Reform, said. 'And anytime you reward illegal activity, the inevitable result is you're going to get more of it.' Immigrant advocates say Dreamers serve many essential roles in their communities. 'There's a lot of doctors, nurses, individuals like myself doing advocacy based work, and pretty much any career you can think of here, there are DACA workers in our community,' Maria Jimenez, the Executive Director of Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana, said. Illinois bill on governor's desk would require law enforcement to work with federal gun tracing database But as the Supreme Court debates the constitutionality of the program, they're facing anxiety over a possible future without the program. 'It would mean a great deal of instability for my family,' Jimenez said. 'I have a partner, I have two young kids I provide for, it would mean myself, my brother, my family members would all of a sudden not have the stability and safety from deportation.' The proposed legislation, American Dream and Promise Act of 2025, would give anyone who is 18 or younger who's been in the U.S. since 2021 protected status. It would also provide a pathway to permanent legal status if dreamers get a degree or serve in the military for at least two years. The full bill can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lombardo rejects street vendor bill, lacrosse as veto total reaches 65
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nine more bills vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Wednesday raised the total to 65, just 10 short of a record he established following the legislative session in 2023. Lombardo rejected bills related to the street vendor regulations, deletion of police recordings of traffic stops, state sanctioning of lacrosse as an interscholastic sport and changes in the state law on automatic voter registration through the DMV. A number of the bills appeared to be examples of expanded government regulation, and Lombardo has emphasized reducing state government interference. STREET VENDORS: Lombardo vetoed Senate Bill 295 (SB295), Democratic Sen. Fabian Doñate's effort to refine a street vendor law approved two years ago. The bill would have made health officials in Clark County set a standard for food carts and communicate regulations to the public via a website. Vendor restrictions that went into place in 2023 ended up severely limiting any participation by small-business entrepreneurs that the legislation tried to allow. Fewer than 10 licensed operators are on the streets in Clark County. Lombardo rejected the bill, saying it was too big of a health risk and gave street vendors advantages over other food establishments. He said the same standards should apply. 'This risk is further compounded by the bill's allowance for storing food carts in private homes,' Lombardo's veto message said. 'Unlike regulated commercial kitchens, private residences are not subject to routine sanitation or pest control measures.' HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE: SB305 would have allowed lacrosse to become a sanctioned sport for Nevada high schools, but also would have made changes in how decisions are made about club sports at that level. A veto message was not immediately available explaining Lombardo's reasons. TRAFFIC STOP RECORDINGS: SB85 sought to prevent the deletion of recordings of police traffic stops that the state intended to use in a study. But Lombardo said the Department of Public Safety hasn't received the analysis from a third-party entity authorized to collect and review the data. 'Requiring a report that has yet to materialize undermines confidence in the effectiveness and accountability of the process,' Lombardo said in his veto message. 'Before enshrining this mandate into permanent law, we should first ensure that the system in place is actually producing its intended results. VOTER REGISTRATION: SB422 contained changes to voter registration deadlines and steps regarding ID verification. But Lombardo vetoed it, citing several concerns over election integrity and voter security. 'By permitting voters to cast provisional ballots based on a written affirmation and submit proof of residency after Election Day, the bill weakens safeguards that ensure only eligible individuals participate in elections.' In addition, he said REAL ID is not a good standard because federal law permits some non-citizens and lawful status to get one. Other bills rejected on Wednesday included: SB128, which would have barred insurance companies from using AI to automatically generate rejections to claims. Lombardo called it unnecessary micromanaging. He also attacked the bill's requirements that doctors suggest stem cell therapy. SB352, which prohibited Medicaid and private insurers from discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression. Lombardo called the bill a duplication of existing federal protections. SB378, which would have required 'free-standing emergency departments' to bill services at urgent care standards. Lombardo said the bill intended to improve access and affordability, but would likely have the opposite effect, putting facilities out of business. SB414 sought to require financial disclosures surrounding the 'inaugural committee,' but Lombardo attacked the bill as politically motivated. SB447, which would have created another way to challenge the award of a government contract. Lombardo said it would create 'a routine litigation tactic' that would lead to delays, higher costs and court injunctions. Two days remain for the governor to issue additional vetoes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
