Scams going around · Text messages

DMV unpaid traffic ticket text scam

Pretends to be your state DMV or a traffic court. A text that looks like it comes from your state DMV says you have an unpaid traffic ticket. It tells you to pay through a link right away, or your license will be suspended. Another kind of text shows a picture of what looks like an official notice of a traffic hearing. It has a QR code (a square barcode your phone camera can read). Both are tricks to get your money and personal information.

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

(202) 555-0143

DMV Final Notice: You have an unpaid traffic ticket. Pay by 11:59 PM today or your driver's license and vehicle registration will be suspended and a service fee added. Pay now: dmv-ticket-pay.example

How to tell

• It’s an unexpected text that tells you to pay a ticket through a link. North Carolina’s DMV says it will never ask for payment by text.
• It pushes you to act fast with threats. It may mention a suspended license or registration, an extra fee, a “DMV violation database,” prosecution or harm to your credit score.
• It shows a picture of a court notice with a state seal, a case number, and a hearing date and time. It says to scan a QR code (a square barcode) to pay and avoid court.
• It warns of fines, a default judgment (a court ruling against you) or other enforcement if you don’t act now.
• The link opens a website that may look official but is not connected to the real DMV. If you scan the QR code, scammers try to steal your money and personal information.

What to do

• Don’t tap the link, don’t scan the QR code (the square barcode) and don’t reply.
• Stop and talk to someone you trust.
• If you’re worried about a ticket, contact your DMV or the court yourself. Use a phone number or website you know is real, not anything in the text.
• Use your phone’s “report junk” option, or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). Then delete it.

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

1. If you paid with a credit or debit card, or someone used your card without your OK, call your card company or bank right away. Use the number on the back of your card. Ask them to refund your money.
2. Gave your Social Security number? If someone has used your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. If it hasn’t been used, or you aren’t sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.
3. If you think harmful software (malware) got onto your phone, get help. Ask the phone’s maker, or a friend or family member who knows phones.
4. If a scammer may have gotten into your phone, change your passwords. Then turn on two-step sign-in (a second check, like a code sent to you, when you log in).
5. Tell the FTC what happened at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How to check for real

Contact your state DMV or the court yourself. Use a phone number or website you know is correct, not the information in the text. You can look for case information on the court’s own website, or call the court directly.

Where to report it

• ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission’s reporting site
• Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), or use your phone’s “report junk” option
• If you live in North Carolina: the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at ncdoj.gov/report-robocalls

Free guides that go with this

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Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.

• FTC: That text about an overdue traffic ticket is probably a scam
• FTC: That text about a traffic violation is probably a scam
• North Carolina DMV: NCDMV Warns About Surge in Text Scams
• FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed