Latest news with #AlexiGiannoulias
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois Secretary of State warns residents about fake DMV text scam
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning residents to be on the lookout for fake text messages claiming to be from the Illinois DMV. According to Giannoulias, the scam texts purport to be sent by the 'Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles,' and threaten to suspend a user's vehicle registration and driving privileges over unpaid fines and tickets. '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. 'Please remain vigilant to avoid these scams and report them to protect yourself and others from falling victim to fraud schemes.' The Secretary of State warns that users should not respond or open any links found in unsolicited texts or emails. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Illinois bill would raise age for mandatory road tests from 79 to 87
A bill waiting for Gov. JB Pritzker to sign would raise the driver's testing mandate from 79 to 87 years old. House Bill 1226 unanimously passed the Senate last week after a 114-0 vote in the House last month. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says Illinois is the only state that requires seniors to take a driving test despite drivers 75 and older having the lowest crash rate of any age group. The bill would let close relatives report older drivers if they feel their abilities are declining. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Nationwide Outage Knocks Out Passport Verification
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A nationwide outage caused passport verification to be unavailable on Wednesday afternoon. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias posted about the outage on social media on Wednesday morning, urging residents to call before visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles for passport verification. The U.S. Passport Verification Service allows driver's license agencies to verify data against the Department of Homeland Security's system. Why It Matters State DMVs have been flooded with visitors as many Americans look to get a REAL ID since it became mandatory at airports earlier this month. Passports are also a valid form of identification, so the delay in passport verification services could potentially affect soon-to-be travelers. Customers wait at a DMV location in New York City on April 28, 2025. Customers wait at a DMV location in New York City on April 28, 2025. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images What To Know The nationwide outage occurred Wednesday morning, but it is unclear where it stands this afternoon. The Illinois Secretary of State's office said DMVs are operating as usual despite the outage for passport verification. "We activated a process that we put in place to enable us to process U.S. passports and immigration documents from other countries at our DMV facilities. We are not experiencing any delays at our DMVs as a result," the office told CBS Chicago. "We are actively working with our DHS partners to provide an update to states so service can be restored as soon as possible," the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) told The Hill, saying the issue should be resolved by the afternoon. Newsweek reached out to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators for comment via email. What People Are Saying Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias posted on X Wednesday: "Due to a nationwide outage, U.S. passport verification is currently unavailable. We are actively monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available. Please call 800-252-8980 before visiting our DMVs as services or hours may be impacted." A TSA spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "TSA has no concerns [about security wait times on and beyond May 7. State Department of Motor Vehicles have done a great job of preparing their residents for REAL ID implementation on May 7." What Happens Next As the REAL ID requirements go into effect this month, an increasing number of Americans will likely need to set up an appointment with their local DMV for a REAL ID license or passport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) previously said that over 80 percent of air travelers already present REAL ID-compliant identification. Those without a REAL ID or passport could face long security delays or potentially not board planes at all.
The Hill
14-05-2025
- The Hill
Passport verification unavailable amid outage
A system used to verify passport document data for agencies that issue driver's licenses and identification cards was unavailable Wednesday amid an outage, according to a transportation group. The U.S. Passport Verification Service provides a means for driver license agencies (DLAs) to verify that data against the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) back-end systems, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). The organization, per its website, represents state, provincial and territorial officials in the U.S. 'who administer and enforce motor vehicle laws.' AAMVA told NewsNation, a sister network of The Hill, that the lapse in service was on the DHS side 'due to their activity,' without disclosing more details. 'We are actively working with our DHS partners to provide an update to states so service can be restored as soon as possible,' the group wrote, saying the department aimed to have it restored by 1 p.m. EDT. It is unclear where systems currently stand. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias (D) also posted about the outage on social media. 'Due to a nationwide outage, U.S. passport verification is currently unavailable. We are actively monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.,' Giannoulias wrote Wednesday morning on the social platform X. 'Please call 800-252-8980 before visiting our DMVs as services or hours may be impacted,' he added. The reported outage comes after the deadline to obtain a REAL ID passed last week following years of delays. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said recently that over 80 percent of air travelers were already presenting types of identification in line with Real ID requirements. The Hill has reached out to DHS for confirmation on the outage.
