Another New Michigan Texting Scam To Be Aware Of

Every morning on my drive into work, I'm greeted with an electronic sign that is telling me to "BE AWARE, TOLL TEXTS ARE SCAMS", much like the sign below. These toll scams ran rampant most of April and May, with unsuspecting Michiganders receiving texts informing them they had unpaid tolls that required payment (despite Michigan not having any toll roads).

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Just as it seemed like these messages were slowing down, a new scam lit up Michiganders' phones yesterday (including mine) and is far more convincing than the toll scam, mainly because it's about a topic that many of us tend to dread: the DMV. However, there are a few ways to know this is a scam, starting with the topic of the text.

Michigan Doesn't Have A DMV

The dreaded place where we spend hours waiting to renew our driver's license, register our new car, or register to vote in most states is known as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). While this might be the common phrase for this place, Michigan's version of the DMV is actually called the Secretary of State (SOS). So when you get the following text, there are a few red flags to notice:

• The Michigan Secretary of State will never ask people to send money or personal information via text message.
• The Phone Number
  • The +63 area code is from the Philippines, not Michigan or any other part of the United States.
• iMessage
  • Even if this was a standard automated message, these messages are never sent from iMessage, meaning this message was sent from another iPhone.
• Code 15C-16.003
  • The state code mentioned in the text is not valid and is intended to appear legitimate.
• "Transfer to toll booth"
  • Much like the toll scam circulating, it is essential to remember that Michigan has no toll roads, so there will be no "35% service fee".

Once you know what you're looking for, it is painfully obvious that this is a scam. But with most scams, the goal of texts like this is to create fear and have a gut reaction. It is important to do your research before responding to suspicious messages.