Texas DMV Warns of Phishing Scam

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Be on the lookout if you receive a notification claiming to be from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

The notifications claim the recipient has renewal fees and are asked to click on a link to contact the DMV.

DMV officials say they never reach out via email or text to request personal information. They say if you ever receive such a message, you should ignore it or contact the DMV if you feel the message is suspicious.

The DMV says you should not click on any links in a message and recommend you follow tips from efraudprevention.net.

Here are a few steps to prevent text message spam:

1. Delete text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information: Legitimate companies don’t ask for information like your account numbers or passwords by email or text.
2. Don’t reply, and don’t click on links provided in the message: Links can install malware on your computer and take you to spoof sites that look real but whose purpose is to steal your information.
3. Treat your personal information like cash: Your Social Security number, credit card numbers, and bank and utility account numbers can be used to steal your money or open new accounts in your name. Don’t give them out in response to a text.
4. If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell subscriber, you can report spam texts to your carrier by copying the original message and forwarding it to the number 7726 (SPAM), free of charge.
5. Review your cell phone bill for unauthorized charges, and report them to your carrier.
6. To block spam messages -- but not all incoming texts from friends and family -- call your carrier’s customer service number (usually 611) and instruct them to “Block all text messages sent to you as email” and “Block all multimedia messages sent to you as email.” You also might be able to log into your account online and activate these blocks there.
7. If dialing 611 or going into your phone settings online does not slow down spam, check with your mobile provider about other options to block future spam messages.
8. Set up and use a free email account that’s only for things like promotions, contests, and the like. This way, you can easily segregate those messages from your personal and work correspondence.

Have you received a text message claiming to be from the Texas DMV? Tell us on Facebook or chat with us on our station app.