DMV warns of discounted registration renewal scams on social media. How to avoid the con
Social media users are being warned not to fall for a fake online advertisement that is posing as the California Department of Motor Vehicles and offering registration renewal services at a discounted price.
Residents have reported seeing deceptive social media advertisements claiming to renew a vehicle registration at a 50% discount, the DMV said on Wednesday.
Fact check: State law prohibits the DMV from offering discounted vehicle registration renewals.
The deceptive advertisement asks for personal information, including your full name, license plate number, and the last five digits of the vehicle registration number.
To take advantage of the supposed service, you're asked to pay through the peer-to-peer transaction service Cash App.
Read more: Real ID brings confusion and surprise but relatively few problems at SoCal airports
Fact check: The DMV will never ask for personal information or payment through unofficial channels such as social media sites and transaction applications.
To make a payment to the state department for your vehicle registration renewal, you can:
Make an online payment through your personal account on the DMV website.
Visit a DMV kiosk.
Make an appointment at a DMV office.
'The safest way to renew your vehicle registration is directly through the official DMV website,' said DMV Director Steve Gordon in a statement.
The DMV advises that you take these steps to avoid this recent online scam:
Avoid engaging with any offers of discounted DMV services. The DMV does not offer special deals through unauthorized third parties or on social media.
Never respond to unsolicited or suspicious messages. If you receive a direct message asking for personal or financial information, do not reply.
Verify the source of the post, message or advertisement. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of an online post, you can contact the DMV by calling (800) 777-0133.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
NC Department of Transportation warns residents of DMV text scam
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The latest DMV text scam has North Carolina officials warning residents to not fall for it. The NC Department of Transportation released a graphic detailing all the problems with the scam message. This DMV scam is the latest form of smishing that attempts to obtain revealing or sensitive information from individuals. It provides a fake link to pay the fines, creates a sense of urgency, and asks the recipient to reply 'Y' to the message, copy links into a browser, or confirm personal information. If you receive a text message from the DMV or any other state agency that demands money, the Federal Trade Commission recommends the following: Do not respond to the text or click any links. The DMV would not ask for your information or money by text. Report the text to the Federal Trade Commission at and/or file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to help your provider identify and block similar messages. Report the message on the app you are using. Look for the option to report junk or spam. You may also contact the DMV using a trusted telephone number or website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mayor Bass taps AECOM to assist with Palisades rebuilding
Nearly five months after a firestorm laid waste to a wide swath of Pacific Palisades, Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that the global infrastructure firm AECOM will help develop a master plan for rebuilding the area, as well as a plan for reconstructing utilities and other infrastructure. The firm will work alongside both the city and Hagerty Consulting, which Bass tapped as a recovery contractor in early February, according to the mayor's office. Hagerty, an Illinois-based disaster recovery firm, has a yearlong contract with the city for up to $10 million but has faced persistent questions about the specifics of its work. Read more: As L.A. rebuilds from the Palisades fire, residents ask: What's the plan? The mayor's office did not immediately answer when asked Friday whether Hagerty's role was being scaled back. In late January, the mayor, along with four council members and other city officials, heard presentations from Hagerty, AECOM and a third firm also seeking to be the city's disaster recovery contractor. After Bass selected Hagerty in February, she said the city was still in discussions with AECOM about a separate contract. 'An unprecedented natural disaster requires an unprecedented, all-hands-on-deck response — all levels of government, philanthropy, the private sector and educational institutions coming together to support the community and rebuild as quickly and safely as possible,' Bass said in a written statement Friday. 'AECOM's expertise in long-term infrastructure planning and design will only further expedite our work to get families home.' The mayor's office also did not immediately respond when asked whether the city now has a contract with AECOM, or what the specifics of that contract, including the compensation, are. Steve Soboroff, a longtime local developer and Bass' former chief recovery officer, publicly criticized Bass' decision to choose Hagerty over AECOM as the city's initial disaster recovery contractor. In an interview in mid-April as he was leaving his post, Soboroff raised questions about Hagerty's role and said he thought AECOM should have been hired instead. Along with developing a comprehensive rebuilding master plan and supporting the Palisades' infrastructure reconstruction, AECOM will help coordinate broader public and private rebuilding efforts. The company will work on a "logistics plan for materials management in coordination with local builders and suppliers" as well as a master traffic plan as more homeowners leap into the rebuilding process, according to a news release. AECOM is also the "official venue infrastructure partner" for the 2028 Olympic Games, according to a March news release from LA28. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Cathie Wood buys $373M of hot tech stock
Cathie Wood buys $373M of hot tech stock originally appeared on TheStreet. On June 5, Cathie Wood's investment firm, ARK Invest, bought around 4.48 million shares of Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) on the day of its public debut. ARK Invest invested in the stablecoin issuer's 4.48 million shares valued at $373 million on its debut day, as per the stock's closing price of $83.23. The investment firm also trimmed the shares of other crypto stocks from its portfolio on the same day. It offloaded $39 million in the shares of Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the U.S. The firm also shed $18.5 million in the shares of the crypto and stock trading exchange Robinhood Markets (Nasdaq: HOOD). $10.4 million in Jack Dorsey's Block, Inc. (Nasdaq: XYZ) shares are also among the shares unloaded by ARK Invest. The tech and financial services company has integrated Bitcoin into several of its applications, such as Cash App and Bitkey. Cathie Wood's investment company is well-known for investing in forward-looking tech stocks such as AI, crypto, fintech, etc. As reported earlier, ARK Invest had already indicated its plan to purchase Circle shares. Circle is a popular crypto firm that issues USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency that aims to maintain a stable price, unlike traditionally volatile cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The stablecoin issuer made a spectacular debut on the NYSE yesterday, opening at $69 apiece against the IPO price of $31. The total crypto market cap dipped 1.7% in a day to $3.24 trillion at the time of writing. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, was trading at $103,970.46 at press time as per Kraken, down 1.3% a day. Cathie Wood buys $373M of hot tech stock first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Sign in to access your portfolio
