Several weeks ago, we warned about ongoing scam artists using false IRS information in order to take advantage of honest folks trying to do the right thing.
While this information is from New York, Vermont readers should also be on guard for similar phishing emails.
We recently learned about another fraud taking place when NY State Department of Motor Vehicles warned about a phishing scam where New York drivers are being targeted, stating they have 48 hours to pay a fine or have their driver’s license revoked.
The NY DMV alerted motorists that the scam is just bait to entice them to click on a “payment” link that will in turn infect their computer or device with malware. The DMV does not know how many people have been affected, but Owen McShane, director of investigations at New York State DMV, said calls came in from New York City, Albany and Syracuse.
According to reports “The malware being dropped came in two categories. The first simply placed a tracking tool on the victim’s computer to see what websites were visited; and the second, more nefarious, attempted to acquire a variety of personally identifiable information, such as names, Social Security numbers, date of birth and credit card information.”
There are several red flags that show the email is a scam. The text of the email supplied by the DMV contains punctuation errors and lead to sites without an ny.gov URL, coupled with the fact that the state would never make such a request.
Here is how the phishing email reads:
Dear Driver:
We are writing to inform you that the state police department has notified us that you have several outstanding traffic violations. If you do not make restitution from these infractions within 48 hours, we will be forced to revoke your driver’s license.
To make payment arrangements online, click here.
To refute these tickets, click here.
No state motor vehicle department would send emails urging motorists to pay traffic tickets within 48 hours or face losing your license. Threats like that are big red flags that the scam artist wants you to respond quickly without time to qualify the request.
Should you receive an email of this nature from any local, state or federal agency always call the authorities directly but never respond to phone numbers or emails provided in the message. They want you to engage in order to gain access to your information, therefore your best defense is to void all responses.
