Residents in Acadiana Warned About DMV Scam Circulating

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - Authorities in Acadiana are warning you that there's a scam going around, and it may soon reach your phone.

A few days ago, I received a message from what appeared to be the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles, warning me that if I did not pay traffic fines, my driver's license would be suspended for 30 days.

Well, I knew I did not have any unpaid fines, so I immediately knew this was a scam.

However, some may not be able to distinguish what is real from what is not, and out of fear, many may click the link in the test message.

According to KATC, the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles confirmed the messages are fake and reminded residents that the agency is referred to as the OMV — not the DMV.

So, if you get any threatening text messages about unpaid fines and the possibility of your driver's license being suspended, do not click on anything, and you should delete the text message immediately.

Authorities also encourage you to report any text message that you deem fraudulent, and you can do so by contacting the Federal Trade Commission. 

Signs of Text Message Scam

According to SlickText, you can identify a text message from an unknown number by the following:

• If the text comes for an abnormally long phone number, that is a red flag
• If the text creates or relays a crisis to scare you, it's likely a scam
• Text scams often offer you a refund, but you have to CLICK to claim it
• If you get a random text about winning a prize, it's likely a scam
• Often threatening and referecne unpaid fines or fees