ST. GEORGE — If you receive a text from the DMV, it might not be what it appears.
The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles is alerting Utahns about a potential scam that could appear like the text in this photo | Image courtesy of the Utah State Tax Commission, St. George News
The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles is alerting the public of a recent surge of fraudulent text messages falsely claiming to be from the DMV. The deceptive messages, appear to originate from the email address “update@dmv.utah.gov,” but are not actually communications from the DMV, according to a news release issued by the Utah State Tax Commission.
The fraudulent text messages are carefully crafted to mislead taxpayers into believing they are official communications from the DMV. The messages claim that the recipient has incomplete information on file and is required to update their DMV contact information. A suspicious link is included in the text, which could potentially lead recipients to phishing websites or compromise their personal information.
While the DMV does send text messages to remind people of scheduled appointments, the DMV does not initiate contact with taxpayers by text message to request personal or financial information. It is important to clarify that these text messages are not legitimate communications from the DMV.
The Utah DMV emphasizes the following key points:
Verification of messages: If you receive a text claiming to be from the DMV and are unsure of its legitimacy, do not click on any links. Instead, contact the DMV Customer Service at 801-297- 7780 to verify the communication
Report suspicious messages: If you have received a suspicious text message, please report it to the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles by calling Customer Service at 801-297-7780 to provide details.
Avoid clicking suspicious links: Do not click on any links in text messages that claim to be from the DMV. Instead, independently verify your information by calling the DMV directly at 801-297- 7780.