Oregon DMV Issues Scam Warning

The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles on Friday issued a warning that people claiming to be from the DMV are calling residents and requesting payment for outstanding DMV fees over the phone.

The DMV reminds residents that its employees never call to request payment for DMV-related services, and that fee notifications are typically sent by mail. The reason for this, DMV officials said, is because the DMV cannot accept payments by phone, wire transfer, or prepaid cards, and instead asks customers to either send checks directly to their local DMV or use OregonDMV.com to make payments related to DMV services, such as vehicle registration.

Scammers making the calls are said to ask for payment by wire transfer or prepaid debit or credit cards. They also reportedly ask for personally identifiable information, like social security numbers, bank account numbers, or debit and credit card numbers.

Some callers go further and threaten arrest or litigation for noncompliance, the officials said. This is also not keeping with the DMV’s communication policies.

The scammers are not above leaving voicemails, DMV officials said, and sometimes use email, social media messaging, and text as well. The scammers are also somehow able to trick caller IDs to show real DMV phone numbers as "part of the scammers' attempt to make the call seem legitimate," officials said.

For more on how to protect yourself from potential scam situations, visit the Oregon Department of Justice website.

And to ensure the veracity of any supposed DMV communication, check with OregonDMV.com.

Image via Pixabay.com