Scam texts say Virginians owe DMV cash. You don't.
The Virginia DMV is once again warning residents about a text scam, this one fraudulently telling Virginians they owe money for unpaid traffic tickets.
Why it matters: Between bogus job offers, unsolicited homebuying queries and nonstop political announcements, it's a wonder any actual personal communication gets through to our phones.
Driving the news: In the latest scam, a fraudster posing as the DMV texts that the recipient owes money for an outstanding traffic ticket and they need to pay up immediately or risk penalties, according to a warning from the DMV.
The penalty, per the scammer, is a suspended driver's license and vehicle registration, a ding on one's credit report, possible criminal prosecution and, bizarrely, a 35% "toll booth" service fee.
Virginians should not click on any links in the text or reply to the sender, the DMV says.
Instead, recipients should use the "report junk" feature on their phone or forward it to 7726 (SPAM).
What they're saying: " The DMV will never send you text messages demanding payment for fines or fees," DMV commissioner Gerald Lackey said in a statement. "We urge our customers to be vigilant and avoid sending your personal information via text."
Flashback: Unpaid traffic ticket messages are the latest text scam to hit Virginians. In March, there was one demanding money for unpaid tolls or E-Z Pass balances.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour 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.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Layoffs loom at Pentagon-funded think tank after Hegseth slashes weapons-testing office
Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent personnel cuts in the Pentagon office responsible for weapons testing has halted all work and cleared the way for potential layoffs at the Pentagon-funded think tank that supports it, the Institute for Defense Analyses, or IDA. In a letter obtained by CBS News, the institute's president, retired Air Force Gen. Norton "Norty" Schwartz, told staff he'd received a notice on Monday "terminating all IDA tasks" for the Pentagon's Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation — known inside the Pentagon as DOT&E. "Leadership is working to assess the full range of implications of these contract actions," Schwartz wrote, adding that the loss of funding "impacts all of IDA." He continued, "With the loss of funding, we cannot sustain our current staffing levels as an organization … All of this is devastating for us as individuals and for the amazing work we have had the privilege to perform for so many years." Congress established DOT&E in 1983 out of growing concern that the Pentagon lacked a clear and independent view of how its weapons systems performed under real-world conditions. Lawmakers at the time had grown frustrated with the quality of oversight, believing both Congress and the Defense Department were being left in the dark about the true effectiveness of the military's most expensive investments. IDA provides technical expertise and analysis to support the weapons testing office. DOT&E, along with IDA, took up the mantle of testing and evaluating all Pentagon weapon systems. By law, no weapon system can proceed to full production without the office's signoff. But late last month, Hegseth made deep cuts to the weapons testing office, which has caused a ripple effect at IDA. In his memo, Hegseth called much of the office's work "redundant" and "nonessential" and said it had functions that "do not support operational agility or resource efficiency." The directive made a sweeping reduction to the office's civilian workforce, cutting the civilian employee count from 118 to 30, with and 15 uniformed personnel, and one person in the Senior Executive Service position to lead the office. The memo also ended all contractor support to the office, such as the work done by IDA. Hegseth's memo said the cuts would save the Pentagon over $300 million per year. The cost to operate the office was roughly $377 million, according to Fiscal Year 2025 Pentagon budget documents. The IDA letter sent to staffers on Tuesday and marked "For Internal IDA Use Only," said the agency had faced a sense of uncertainty for months but that IDA had viewed such an outcome as an "unlikely event." CBS News was unable to determine how many IDA staffers will be impacted or what programs IDA was working on that were halted. The Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Department budget documents show DOT&E provides operational and live-fire testing and evaluation oversight for every major defense acquisition program. It's currently evaluating over 230 weapons systems that are at various stages of procurement. Contacted on Friday, Herman Phillips, the chief communications officer for IDA, confirmed to CBS News that IDA leadership has made the "difficult decision to reduce the size of the workforce. However, IDA has not currently dismissed any staff," as they continue to evaluate the impact from Hegseth's directive. Robert Behler, a longtime test pilot who led DOT&E during the first Trump administration, told USNI News Monday that the cuts will prevent the office from fulfilling its congressional obligations, and ending funding for contractor support will hinder DOT&E's ability to carry out its oversight duties. "I don't think they will have the resources to be able to accomplish all those tasks with only … a couple handfuls of people, 30 people. It's an enormous job, especially the annual report," Behler told USNI News. He was referring to a report, required by federal law, that summarizes the Defense Department's weapons testing and evaluation each year. The report for 2024 was 498 pages. During a roundtable discussion with reporters hosted by the Defense Writers Group on Wednesday, GOP Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, was asked about Hegseth's cuts to the DOT&E. "I have questions not only for the secretary and his team, and to an extent the National Security Council is involved in this, but also with stakeholders and experts around town as to the advisability of this, which would amount to a reversal of congressional policy," said Wicker. contributed to this report.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
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 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 or the Federal Trade Commission at 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@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Got a text from the 'Colorado DMV' saying you owe money? It's a scam
