MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is alerting residents to a growing phishing scam that is falsely using the name “Alabama Department of Vehicles (DMV)” to demand payments for fake traffic tickets.
According to ALEA, these scam text messages claim to be from the Alabama DMV and threaten to suspend driving privileges for 30 days or cancel vehicle registrations unless the recipient clicks a malicious link and provides personal information.
State officials are reminding the public that there is no such agency as the Alabama DMV. Driver license services in the state are administered by ALEA’s Driver License Division, while vehicle registration is managed by the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR). Local county probate offices issue license plates.
ALEA emphasized it does not send unsolicited text messages threatening prosecution or requesting personal data. “Scammers are trying to create a false sense of urgency by threatening you and your driving privileges,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “We urge all Alabamians to be cautious and remember that our Agency will never contact you this way.”
What to Watch For:
Texts claiming to be from the “Alabama DMV”
Warnings about immediate license suspension or vehicle registration cancellation
Links prompting users to enter personal or financial information
What to Do:
Do not click on links in suspicious messages
Do not provide any personal information
Report phishing attempts to the Federal Trade Commission or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
ALEA urges residents to stay vigilant and delete any suspicious messages immediately.
