(Source: dmv.ri.gov )
Readers made Motif aware they received text messages trying to entice them into following a web link that presumably would lead to a scam, collecting financial information or infecting the user with malware. The messages threaten dire legal consequences due to unpaid violations at the RI Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV), citing general laws references and other window dressing to seem believable. The messages are entirely fake.
Two major and relatively obvious defects are apparent on closer inspection: (1) the web link ends in “.CAM” rather than the ordinary “.COM” and (2) the sending telephone number is not in area code “401” (Rhode Island) but, in our example, “443” (Maryland). The normal web link for the RI DMV is actually at DMV.RI.GOV, where the following was posted:
Fraudulent Text Alert — The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is alerting the public following a recent surge in fraudulent text messages falsely claiming to be from the DMV. These scams are designed to deceive recipients into clicking malicious links and submitting personal and/or financial information under false threats of license suspension, fines, and credit score or legal penalties. These messages are NOT from the RI DMV.
In response to an inquiry from Motif, Paul Grimaldi, press spokesman for the RI Department of Revenue who handles matters for the DMV, said, “We are aware of the latest phishing wave. We posted a warning on the DMV website… alerting people that these are fraudulent messages that do not originate from the DMV.”
Recipients of such fake text messages can safely ignore their instructions and delete them.