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The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is alerting residents about a new wave of phishing scams. These scams involve fraudulent text messages pretending to be from the DMV, aiming to steal personal information. According to DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, "DMV will not send you texts asking for your personal information."
The phishing texts attempt to access data or trick recipients into installing malicious software on their devices. Recent scams have falsely claimed that recipients have outstanding traffic tickets, threatening consequences like suspension of driving privileges if not paid by a certain date. Over 170 phishing scams were reported in regions such as Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse in 2024, as noted by the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York.
Residents are advised to delete suspicious messages immediately and report any potential phishing events by emailing a description or screenshot to dmv.sm.phishingattacks@dmv.ny.gov. Fraud can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. For more information, the DMV provides details on its website about these phishing attacks and how to avoid them.