The Indiana BMV has released a statement warning Hoosiers of fraudulent traffic fee texts. Photo by Lindsey Lamont, Unsplash.

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — A new text that appears to be a scam is being sent to Hoosiers from the “Indiana Department of Vehicles” about reported outstanding traffic tickets.

The texts warn of a “final notice” from the Indiana Department of Vehicles for an outstanding traffic ticket. The messages state that a DMV violation report, vehicle registration suspension, a 30-day license suspension, toll booth transferal and 35% service fee, prosecution and a negative credit score will all follow if fees are not repaid by Friday.

At the end of the message, a URL is provided, with additional instructions to pay “immediately before enforcement to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes.”

This scam is one of many that have appeared in recent times, along with fake job offers, package delivery scams, toll road and wrong number scams. According to previous reports, $470 million was made by text scammers in 2024.

Federal Trade Commission officials warn users not to click links or respond to unexpected texts. Companies should instead be contacted through websites or numbers found through trustworthy sources, and not through information in the text message.

“The Indiana BMV does not — and will not — notify customers of traffic tickets via text.

“We urge Hoosiers to not click on any links or respond to these text messages,” the statement concluded.

It is advised users report suspicious texts to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and delete them.

The Federal Trade Commission has additional information on text scams, which can be found on its website.