Colorado DMV and Pueblo officials warn residents not to fall for DMV text scam
The Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles and Pueblo County law enforcement are warning residents not to fall for a text message scam that impersonates the state DMV.
The messages in question, which claim to be from the Colorado DMV, state that the recipient has an outstanding ticket and threaten a list of serious consequences for non-payment, including suspension of registration and driving privileges, financial consequences, and even prosecution.
The text messages include a fraudulent link to pay, and threaten the recipient to "pay immediately before enforcement."
"These deceptive messages are crafted to appear as official communications from the Colorado DMV," the state DMV said in a news release. "Their primary goal is to frighten recipients into clicking malicious links and divulging personal or financial information under the guise of settling non-existent violations."
"It is critical for all Coloradans to understand these messages are not from the Colorado DMV," the release states. "The DMV does not initiate contact via unsolicited text messages and emails to demand payment for tickets or to threaten prosecution or suspension of privileges in this manner."
If you receive a suspicious text message claiming to be from the DMV, the DMV warns:
Do not click on any links. These links often lead to fake websites designed to steal your information.
Do not share any personal or financial information. This includes your driver's license number, social security number, credit card details, or banking information.
Do not reply to the text message or email.
If you are concerned about the status of your driver's license, vehicle registration, or any potential tickets, contact the Colorado DMV directly through its official website at dmv.colorado.gov, or by phone at 303-205-5600. Do not use any contact information provided in the suspicious message.
If you have not engaged in any activity that would result in a ticket or penalty, it is almost certainly a scam, according to the state DMV.
Anyone who receives a fraudulent message is encouraged to report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, or the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Be sure to include the phone number or email that sent the message and the website linked in the text.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office also noted in a post on the social media website X that there are many red flags in the fraudulent texts, from the telephone number having too many digits, to the email address featuring odd spellings and typos, and the sender asking the recipient to open a link and/or copy it to their browser.
"If you are unsure about whether a message you receive is legitimate, call the source of the sender to verify. Never give personal/financial info and don't click any unknown or suspect links," PCSO officials wrote. "Be alert and look closely at the messages before acting."
The Pueblo Police Department is cautioning residents to "stay vigilant and trust your gut."
"If something seems suspicious about a text or call, trust your instincts — don't share personal information or click any links," Pueblo PD officials said in their own X post.
"The Colorado DMV urges all residents to be extremely cautious and to share this warning with friends and family," the state DMV wrote. "Vigilance is key to protecting your personal information from these evolving scams."
More on public safety: Pueblo police say armed shoplifting suspect struck and killed by police vehicle
Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Got a text from the 'Colorado DMV' saying you owe money? It's a scam
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