The county clerks in Orleans and Niagara counties are warning residents about the text scam involving fake Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) notifications that have been circulating extensively to residents of both counties in recent weeks.
Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon and Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzesmki said while the scam is nothing new, their offices have been inundated with calls from local residents expressing concern.
“Like many of these so-called phishing scams, the texts look very real and are telling people they have outstanding traffic tickets or unpaid tolls and they must take action immediately to avoid consequences like fines and loss of driving privileges,” said Hanlon. “Let me be clear these are fake and should be deleted.”
Phishing texts are fraudulent messages designed to obtain data or sensitive personal information to be used to commit identity theft or trick the recipient into installing malicious software onto a computer or mobile device.
“No DMV office, either locally or from the state, will send you texts looking for personal information,” said Jastrzemski. “And if you are unsure, call our office and ask. It is always better to be safe than sorry.”
The New York State DMV provided some advice on how to avoid these phishing attacks:
• Be cautious about all communications you receive, including those that claim to be from “trusted entities.” Be careful when clicking any links contained within those messages. If in doubt, do not click.
• Do not send your personal information via email. Legitimate businesses will not ask users to send sensitive personal information through email.
• Keep an eye out for telltale signs: poor spelling or grammar, the use of threats, or the URL does not match that of the legitimate site.
• Be wary of how much information you post online. The less information you post, the less data you make available to a cybercriminal for use in developing a potential attack or scam.
To learn more about the phishing scams, visit https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/phishing-attacks.