Scams aren’t something new in our country. Day after day, we see these swindlers getting more creative to try to rip people off. Sadly, some of them succeed at doing so, especially when they target specific people. Lately, a DMV scam has been happening across the country, but it has finally hit the citizens of Florida. While some people with internet knowledge might avoid this scam easily, others are not so lucky and might fall into this obvious trap.
Recently, several states have received messages that allegedly came from the DMV. These messages mention that you need to pay your tolls before a specific date. Failure to do so will lead to legal actions and even vehicle impoundment. The message may vary depending on the state, but it’s a scare tactic to coerce people into paying something. However, it’s all a scam and reached Florida in the past few days.
As you can see in the above image by user Roadkill_Gaming, it starts with an “Overdue Tolls” warning. However, following the link will likely send you to a website that will steal your money.
Unfortunately, some people have fallen victim to this or have been close to doing so. One user on Reddit said the following:
“My dad, who’s in his late 60s, sent me this screenshot and asked if I could pay it for him because he doesn’t want to be in legal trouble. I had to remind him he doesn’t have a car… so there’s that.” – Proof-Abroad-8684 via Reddit.
As you can see, the scammers target those who aren’t internet savvy. Many senior citizens might fall into this trap and pay for things that they shouldn’t have to in the first place.
How to Avoid the Scam
Fortunately, other citizens across the country have shared their experience with the scam, which should help those in Florida now. User haver_of_friends shared the message they received. This happened in Georgia, and the reason why they figured out it was a scam was the alleged date that read, “May 15st.” As you can see, that’s a clear mistake, and scammers aren’t even paying attention to what they are sending.
If you’re scared about it, call the DMV first or go there. If you own anything, they should tell you, but they’d rarely send a message with this warning. Furthermore, never follow a shady link you receive or enter your credentials on a strange website. Doing so will put your information and finances at risk, so it is better to avoid them all together.
