The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is warning Americans of scammers claiming to be from NHTSA and demanding payment for traffic violations. These messages often refer to fake judges, case numbers, and serious consequences to appear more official and scare recipients into clicking a link and paying.
NHTSA does not issue traffic tickets and will never text, call, or email any member of the public regarding any traffic violation. Traffic violations are issued by state and local governments and law enforcement agencies. NHTSA is the federal vehicle safety regulator and does not issue any traffic fines to drivers.
How to spot the scam
Government imposter scams often use fear and pressure to force consumers to act quickly. Remember these red flags:
They demand specific, non-traditional payment methods: Governments will not demand that you pay via gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or digital payment apps.
They use threats: Scammers may threaten you with arrest, the immediate suspension of your driver’s license, hefty fines, or referring a case to debt collectors.
They ask for personal info: NHTSA does not call or text anyone to ask for Social Security numbers, bank account details, or credit card numbers.
Protect yourself
• Hang up or delete: If you receive a suspicious call or text, do not engage. Hang up immediately or delete the message. Do not click on any links provided in a text or email.
• Verify the source: If you are concerned about a vehicle issue, check for official information yourself. Visit NHTSA.gov/Recalls to check for safety recalls using your VIN or license plate, or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.
• Report the fraud: If you have been contacted by someone pretending to be from NHTSA, report it your local police, your state’s consumer protection office, and the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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RVT1262b
I’ve received texts from the “DMV” that I have outstanding turnpike tolls.
Our DMV has nothing to do with the turnpike here in PA.
It is run by the Turnpike Commission.
This happens about 4 times a year.
We’re old enough to have gotten a Nigerian bank scam letter via snail mail… Now I’m getting a lot of scam emails that purport to be from Social Security but don’t come from a “dot gov” site. When you hover the cursor over the sender it will show their complete address. If it’s not from “dot gov” it’s a scam.
The one we thought most amusing was the “Holy Handkerchief”. This was supposed to be Mary Magdalene’s handkerchief. If you’re old enough to remember computer paper with holes punched on the edge, that had a border around it, you’ve seen the “holy handkerchief”. The idea was you put it under your pillow and you should pray for the person who had it before that
Mary Magdalene would answer their prayers. Then you would send the “holy handkerchief” back to the organization with a $10 donation, and for 3 nights after that you would pray to Mary. Then Mary had 2 people praying to her for your prayers to be answered. We sorta lost track of it around 20 years ago. But we had a lot of fun showing it to people.
Unless folks call the DMV, the county prosecutor, toll authority and the sheriff’s office and update those agencies with their cell phone number, I don’t see how they can fall for these scams.
Most people do not even think about that. A lot of websites ask for a mobile number when you register so they can send a text verification code.
since I normally use a VPN, a lot of sites want to verify who you are since your IP address may show a different state or even country.
Plus, since most only have cellular phones, it’s the only number they can use.
We still have a landline and depending on what type of site I use, that’s the number they get.