New York State DMV Warning of New Text Scam
The pandemic has brought on many scams that have put people in an unfortunate spot. The latest involves a fake text message circulating claiming to be the Department of Motor Vehicles.
We see these messages and the overall purpose of them is for scammers, in this case known as phishers, to get personal information from people. In the case of this particular scam, these text messages ask you to update your drivers license contact information and link to a fake DMV website.
If you are someone who has received a message like this, delete it immediately and do not respond.
Here are some tips from the NYS Office of Information Technology Services to avoid becoming a scamming victim:
DO exercise caution with all communications you receive, including those that appear to be from a trusted entity. Inspect the sender’s information to confirm the message was generated from a legitimate source.
DO keep an eye out for telltale signs of phishing - poor spelling or grammar, the use of threats, the URL does not match that of the legitimate site. If the message does not feel right, chances are it is not.
DON’T click on links embedded in an unsolicited message from an unverified source.
DON’T send your personal information via text. Legitimate businesses will not ask users to send sensitive personal information through text message.
DON’T post sensitive information online. The less information you post, the less data you make available to a cybercriminal for use in developing a potential attack or scam.
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