The Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Protection warns Montanans about fake texts from scammers claiming to be from the Motor Vehicle Division.
Scammers are sending urgent texts asking recipients to pay traffic tickets or fines, or even providing personal information, with fake deadlines and threats of increased fees and vehicle registration suspension.
MVD says they do not send texts asking for money or unpaid tickets, and warns people to be cautious of texts coming from non-US numbers claiming to be from Montana.
Other tips include avoiding links and watching for poor grammar from unknown numbers. Officials say these types of scams are fairly common, but even on Monday, they received nearly 50 calls about the scam, and encourage anyone concerned to ask for help.
“Be skeptical,” said Montana DOJ Consumer Protection supervising attorney Andrew Butler. “Always verify. Talk to family members or call the agency, especially the agency that's trying to get in touch with you. Never feel pressure. No state agency will ever pressure you into paying them, that's not how we function.”
You can report suspicious activity directly to the Montana Department of Justice by email, phone, or online. More information can be found here.
