BBB: Scammers posing as DMV in Missouri

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Better Business Bureau is warning Missouri residents of new scams where scammers claim to be with the DMV.

A woman from St. Charles, Missouri, reported to BBB she received several text messages in April 2021 from someone claiming to be with the DMV. Each of the text messages stated she was eligible for a refund.

“All licensed drivers, in your state are receiving the $1850 refund/payment,” read one grammatically challenged text.

“D.M.V. Office. Current license holders, are receiving their $2895 refund. Get your check,” read another text.

“DMV Office – All license holders in your state, are receiving a $2955 refund. Get your check,” read the final text.

In each instance, the text had a link where the woman was supposed to go to sign up for her refund. The woman reached out to her local DMV which told her that the offers were not real.

“Scammers are always changing up their schemes,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “If you receive correspondence from someone claiming to be with a government agency, investigate it thoroughly before you act on it.”

The BBB gives the following tips to avoid falling victim in a government imposter scam:

  • Stay calm. Resist the urge to act immediately. Scammers will try to get people to act before thinking about the situation. Take a moment to collect yourself and analyze what is being asked of you.
  • Don’t reply directly. Don’t respond to unknown calls, text or emails. If you think the message might be real, find the government agencies’ contact information from a trusted source and contact them directly.
  •  Check for look-alikes. Do a little research to see if the government agency or organization that contacted you actually exists. While scammers will use well-known entities like the IRS and Social Security to try to dupe people, they also will make up agency names as well.
  • Report it. If you have been victimized or targeted in a government imposter scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker, FTC and FBI.

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