State officials are urging Missouri residents to remain vigilant in light of a surge in fraudulent text messages that falsely appear to originate from trusted government agencies. According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, this new wave of phishing activity involves texts that frequently impersonate the Department of Revenue, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the DMV.
These deceptive messages often carry alarming language and claim recipients owe unpaid traffic fines, overdue toll charges, or similar penalties. The Department of Revenue has confirmed that such messages are not legitimate and emphasizes that it does not communicate requests for payment or personal information via text.
The Trenton Police Department has also relayed this alert, highlighting the nationwide scope of the scam and the significant uptick in reports received by state officials.
Individuals who encounter these fraudulent messages are strongly advised to:
- Avoid clicking any embedded links
- Refrain from sharing sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, banking credentials, or passwords.
- Not reply to the sender
- Immediately delete the message
The Missouri Department of Revenue is actively collaborating with law enforcement agencies to investigate and curtail the proliferation of these illegal communications.
For additional information or to report a phishing attempt, residents may consult the Missouri Department of Revenue’s official website.
