- The NHTSA is warning consumers about a new scam.
- It includes a message claiming the victim has an unpaid ticket.
- The agency offers guidance on how to handle such scams.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has a lot on its plate. It’s constantly investigating defect claims, reviewing crash data, and working with automakers on recall campaigns. Now, it has a new issue to consider: scams. So it’s issuing a blanket warning to consumers across the USA to avoid getting ripped off. Thankfully, the scam and the way to avoid getting scammed are both pretty simple.
Also: If You Got A Text About Unpaid Tolls Or Tickets, Read This Before You Click
According to the NHTSA, the scam usually comes in the form of an unsolicited text message. Fraudsters send a message indicating that the victim has an unpaid ticket, toll, or other violation and that payment is required. These messages often include what appear to be genuine details at first, including a judge’s name, a case number, and more.
They’ll even go as far as to threaten arrest, suspension of a driver’s license, big fines, or referring the case to the credit bureau. Of course, none of this is real.
Gift Cards And Crypto Should Be The Giveaway
The scammer typically includes a clickable link where the victim can “pay their ticket” or they simply include a link that the victim will need to type into their device. The NHTSA says that sometimes, though, they’ll ask for very odd forms of payment like gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or digital payment apps. Those should set off alarm bells in the heads of most. Frankly, pretty much all of these details should.
As the NHTSA points out, it will “never text, call, or email any member of the public regarding any traffic violation.” It goes on to remind folks that it’s a vehicle safety regulator. It never issues tickets or traffic fines to drivers, period. It would be akin to getting a text from your local DOT asking for payment for a fine you never heard of.
While catching and properly penalizing the scammers themselves seems impossible, the route to avoiding getting scammed is pleasantly simple.
How To Handle The Message When It Arrives
The NHTSA recommends a few specific actions, and most of them are like handling that obsessive ex from your past. Hang up. Delete the message. Whatever you do, never ever click on links that are even the tiniest bit suspicious. Those who receive messages like this can go even further and report what information they gather to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
