Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is urging residents to stay alert for phishing scams involving fake text messages from the so-called “Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles.” These messages threaten to suspend vehicle registration and driving privileges, aiming to steal personal or financial information. The secretary’s office emphasizes it never sends texts about license or registration status—only appointment reminders. Illinoisans are strongly advised not to reply to or click on links in unexpected messages. Anyone receiving questionable texts should report them to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov to help ward off further scam attempts.
“Phishing scams are unfortunately an increasingly prevalent threat in our modern society, seeking to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,” Giannoulias said. “Please remain vigilant to avoid these scams and report them to protect yourself and others from falling victim to fraud schemes.”
