A new day, a new fake text phishing scam.
Over the past few days, Floridians have received text messages claiming to be from the Florida State Department of Motor Vehicles, whose official name is Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
The messages claim to be the recipient’s final notice of enforcement penalties set to start on a certain date if unpaid traffic citations aren’t paid, referencing Florida State Administrative Code 15C-16.003.
Failure to make a payment by a certain date will result in one of several actions taken against the recipient, according to the message.
The message, of course, urges the recipient to reply so it can be sent a link where payment can be made.
Fake texts like this have been reported in other states like New York and California. Each uses the same language and has all the tell-tale signs of a scam: They’re unsolicited, high-pressure, threaten the recipient with a form of loss if action isn’t taken and make requests to be paid.
Florida State Administrative Code 15C-16.003 is a real regulation, but it has nothing to do with anything referenced in the fake text message.
Here’s what to know about the latest DMV text scam and tips on how to spot scams in the future.
Florida State Administrative Code 15C-16.003 is a regulation dealing with how people or businesses can maintain some vehicle records. Here’s what it says:
“Any person or entity authorized to issue electronic temporary registrations shall maintain all records relating to their issuance for a period of 5 years, and such records shall be open to inspection by the department or its agents during reasonable business hours.”
This basically means that any person or business that is allowed to issue electronic temporary registrations, like temporary license plates or vehicle registrations, have to keep records related to their issuance for five years.
The records must be made available for review by the appropriate government department during normal business hours.
Scams have grown and evolved alongside technology, and they have become extremely sophisticated.
Some scams are easy to spot, but a growing number of scams pretending to be the IRS, DMV or other governmental entities have become so manipulative that they convince people they have no choice but to act.
The most important tip to remember is that you shouldn’t overestimate the sluggishness of corporate or government bureaucracy. If there is truly an issue that needs to be addressed, there will be time to resolve it.
If something feels off about certain communications, hang up the call or ignore the text and reach out to the entity directly through a source you know and trust. Explain to them what you received and verify its authenticity.
While scams have grown in complexity, they all tend to use the same methods of manipulation. Here are some general signs to look for:
The best thing to do is to report it to the Federal Trade Commission. If you have recently received a traffic or parking violation and you’re still concerned, contact FLHSMV directly to inquire about the citation’s status.
The Federal Trade Commission offers several tips on what you can do if you believe you’ve paid a scammer, depending on what payment method you used.
Reporting fraud in Florida is as simple as visiting the Federal Trade Commission’s website and filing a report. You can report anything that you believe is a fraud or just bad business practices. Here’s how to get started:

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