Guilford Police Warn Residents Of DMV Text Scam

GUILFORD, CT — The Guilford Police Department is warning residents about a text scam in which scammers pretend to be from the CT Department of Motor Vehicles.

Police on Tuesday posted screenshots of the text message scam on Facebook. Scammers ask for payment on traffic tickets to avoid license or registration suspension.

The CT DMV also warned residents about the scam.

"There have been reports of fraudulent text messages and calls being sent to residents. We DO NOT contact residents regarding violations or toll fees via text or phone. DO NOT click the links," the CT DMV said.

The Federal Trade Commission says scammers send spam or phishing text messages to trick people into giving out personal information, such as a password, account number or Social Security number.

"If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers," the FTC says on its website.

Should you get a text message you weren't expecting asking to give personal or financial information, do not click on any links.

"Legitimate companies won’t ask for information about your account by text," the FTC says. "If you think the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Not the information in the text message."

More information on text message scams and how to report them to the FTC can be found here.