The Illinois Secretary of State is warning drivers across the state about text message scams claiming to originate from the “Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles.”
This isn’t the first time Illinois officials have warned residents about text scams; the Secretary of State and Illinois Tollway issued similar notices in May and March of last year, respectively. Here’s what we know.
The Secretary of State says the latest scam messages threaten to suspend residents’ vehicle registration and driving privileges, claiming enforcement actions began Jan. 17.
“Scammers are constantly trying to find new ways to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in the notice. “These deceptive scams are unfortunately an increasingly prevalent threat in our modern society, and they’re coming from many sources, including phone calls, text messages and email communications. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant, avoid engaging with these messages and report scams to help protect themselves and others.”
The Illinois Secretary of State office never sends text messages requesting personal or financial information, including demands for traffic fine payments, according to the notice. Nor does the Secretary of State send texts requesting driver’s license or vehicle registration information.
The only texts the office sends are reminders for scheduled DMV appointments.
Phishing is pronounced like the word “fishing” and is defined by Illinois Tollway as “the practice of sending fraudulent email messages that are disguised as legitimate and often include company logos that look real.” They are designed to steal money and often start with an official-looking message appearing to be from a trusted source, such as a credit card company or reputable online merchant.
Recipients are directed in the messages to a fraudulent website or asked to open an attachment that may contain potential email viruses. The information obtained is then usually used for identity theft.
Phishing is typically done either via phone call or email.
Smishing is essentially SMS phishing, where the method of trying to steal information is through text messages.
The SOS urges Illinois residents to avoid responding to any of these messages or opening any links contained within them.
Scam attempts can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission by visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.

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