Scammers targeting Georgia drivers with fake ticket text messages

Yahoo

5 days ago

The Brief
Georgia officials are warning drivers to be on the lookout for a scam text message about phony traffic tickets.
The texts usually come with a link to a fraudulent website that scammers can use to take your money and personal information.
Officials say you should look out for references to Georgia's "State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)," because Georgia doesn't have that agency.
Scammers are targeting Georgia drivers using threatening text messages, and officials want to make sure you don't get fooled.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services is sending out a warning to watch out for a new text message scam attempting to steal money and personal information.
What we know
The agency posted the warning on its Facebook page, saying that they've received reports of the new scam that could be popping up in your messages.
The texts look like a message from the "Georgia State Department of Motor Vehicles," saying that the recipient has an outstanding traffic ticket that needs to be paid immediately.
If you don't pay, the scammers allege, you could have your license suspended or be prosecuted.
The texts usually come with a link to a fraudulent website that scammers can use to take your information - including driver's license details.
What they're saying
"DDS employees do not contact customers to ask for payment or other confidential information. Anyone who receives such communication should consider it a scam. Customers who are pending a license suspension or other changes in their license status are notified in writing by DDS," DDS Commissioner Angelique B. McClendon said in a statement. "Anyone who receives these — or similar — text messages should not open or respond to them and instead delete such messages immediately."
Dig deeper
Officials say a red flag to be on the lookout for is a reference to a "Department of Motor Vehicles."
That agency does not exist in Georgia. Instead, the Peach State has a Department of Driver Services.
What you can do
If you are ever unsure if a message is real or not, you can reach out to your local law enforcement department for guidance.
If you want to check possible outstanding tickets or your license status, you can go directly to the official site at https://dds.georgia.gov.
The Source
Information for this story came from a Facebook post by the Georgia Department of Driver Services and a report by FOX 5's Kaitlyn Pratt.