Very Fake — And Amusing — DMV 'Ticket' Scam Messages Going Through The Area

VERNON, CT — A very fake and somewhat amusing texting scam attempt revolving around the Department of Motor Vehicles is circulating around Connecticut, authorities in Vernon said.

"Have you received a text message claiming you owe money to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles? It's a scam and ignore the message," Vernon officials said.

According to the scam, "final notice," penalties from the "Connecticut Department of Vehicles," are to kick in Friday.

"Our records show that, as of today, you still have an outstanding traffic ticket," the text says. "In accordance with North connecticut (yes lower case) State Administrative Code 15C-16.003, if you do not complete payment by June 5, 2025, we will take the following actions:

1. Report to the DMV violation database
2. Suspend you vehicle registration starting June 6
3. Suspend driving privileges for 30 days
4. Transfer to a toll booth and charge a 35 percent service fee
5. You may be prosecuted and your credit score may be affected

The text then lists a "pay now" website.

For the record, all tickets in Connecticut are paid through the Judicial Department, not the DMV.

And a toll booth? Connecticut hasn't seen one of those since 1985.

Said Vernon police:

"Do not interact with it besides to report the message as spam and delete the text. These ongoing phishing messages are sent from a variety of accounts to individuals phones via SMS. The messages contain malicious links designed to look like official ct.gov websites. You do not need to report that you received this message to the police department. Never ever click on unknown links, especially when they attempt to elicit an immediate response."

Other areas have also reported the same scam.