EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Residents across the Tri-State region are once again being targeted by a widespread scam involving fraudulent text messages that claim recipients have unpaid traffic tickets. The scam, reported nationwide, falsely threatens drivers with suspension of vehicle registration, loss of driving privileges, and negative impacts on their credit scores.
The texts purport to come from the “Indiana Department of Vehicles,” a detail that immediately raises red flags for local authorities. Sheriff Noah Robinson pointed out that Indiana does not have a Department of Vehicles, but rather a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
“The scam is rather clumsy in that respect,” Sheriff Robinson said. “They refer to the Indiana Department of Motor Vehicles, which simply does not exist in this state.”
The messages often arrive from random phone numbers or obscure email-like addresses and include urgent warnings with a payment deadline — in this case, June 6th. The texts instruct recipients to follow a link to pay their supposed ticket, but the linked websites, although designed to mimic official BMV pages, are fraudulent.
Authorities caution that these scams are becoming increasingly common and advise vigilance. “If you receive an unsolicited text from an unknown source asking you to click on a link, be immediately suspicious,” Sheriff Robinson said. He emphasized that scammers often do not personalize their messages with the recipient’s name, despite making serious threats.
The sheriff advises anyone questioning the legitimacy of such messages to contact the relevant agency directly using verified contact information, rather than numbers or links provided in the suspicious text.
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has acknowledged awareness of the scam and is currently investigating the issue.
Consumers are urged to watch for signs of fraudulent messages, including poor grammar, incorrect agency names, and urgent demands for payment, and to report suspicious activity to local authorities.
