Scam Texts Threaten Washington Drivers With Fake Fines

An old scam is getting new life in Washington by targeting drivers with threats of fines if they are not paid right away. We have the details below.

A Text From The Washington State Department of Motor Vehicles

I received a notice from the on Saturday (12/20) telling me I had until Monday (12/22) to pay my “unpaid traffic fines” or else… Seems threatening.

Adam Griffith via Unsplash

According to the text, if I don’t click on the portal link and pay by the 22nd, the following actions will be taken against me:

Fines will recorded and sent to the DMV violation database.
My vehicle’s registration will be suspended.
I’ll have my driver’s license revoked for 30 days.
On top of the regular fine, I’ll have a 35% service fee added.
Credit Score will be affected
I may face Legal Action.

How Do I Know This Is A Scam?

The text looked very official, even including citing “Code”.

“According to Washington State RCW 16C-16.003, if the fines are not paid…” – Text Scam

I looked up code RCW 16C-16.003, Google brings up results from this scam, which had hit the scene back in June of this year. So if that isn’t a red flag that this is a scam, the real smoking gun for me was the number it was sent to.

That particular phone is one I use for work, and work only, and is in no way linked to any of my personal information. But, if it had come to my regular phone, I might have been a little more gullible… MIGHT.

Giphy.com

If you get a text like this, just report, mark as spam, delete it, etc. If you are worried it MIGHT be legit, reach out to your local DMV to check (don’t use a number or link that is provided in the text).

For more handy tips on scams floating around Washington, click here.