CT Residents Warned Of Phony DMV Text Message Scam

CONNECTICUT — A new scam is circulating via text message, falsely claiming to be from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and demanding payment for a nonexistent unpaid ticket.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the state police, issued alerts about the scam on Tuesday.

The phony message claims the recipient has an unpaid traffic ticket. It threatens consequences for not paying, ranging from suspension of vehicle registration and driving privileges to prosecution.

The state DMV would never ask for your information or money via a text, officials said.

Police say the scam messages come from an international phone number, not from the Connecticut DMV.

Recipients can also spot the scam because it references an urgent date to pay and may contain language errors. The text doesn’t include verifiable methods to contact the DMV, according to police.

Police recommend that recipients avoid replying to the message or clicking links, which could lead to phishing sites or malware. Never give out personal or financial information to unsolicited contacts, according to police.

If you suspect you actually have unpaid tickets, contact the Connecticut DMV directly at 860-263-5700 or visit ct.gov/dmv.

State police said anyone who clicked the link in the phony text and then experienced a financial loss should contact their local law enforcement agency.