Klamath County, Oregon – The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is warning people about a new scam that is spreading through email and text messages. The letters, which look like official messages from the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), say they are a “Final Notice” and threaten people with significant repercussions if they don’t respond quickly.
The Sheriff’s Office says that these messages say the person who gets them has unpaid traffic tickets and could lose their license, face legal action, or damage to their credit score if they don’t pay by certain date. The message has a link to a payment page that seems suspicious, and it can ask the user to “reply Y” or click on a shortened URL. Officials have acknowledged that this is a fraud and advise people not to get involved.
The Sheriff’s Office made it clear that this is not how the Oregon DMV communicates with people. According to authorities, they don’t send threatening legal messages by text or use shortened links to ask for payment.
People who get a message like this should delete it right away, according to the authorities. If you clicked on the link or gave out any personal or financial information, you need to call your bank or credit card company and start keeping an eye on your credit for any strange behavior.
Residents are urged to only utilize the official DMV website at oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV and to ignore any text or email solicitations for payment that they did not ask for.
The Sheriff’s Office is also encouraging residents to tell others about this scam so that they don’t fall for it. They say that one of the best ways to defend yourself and your neighbors is to stay aware and watchful.
Scammers keep coming up with more and more clever ways to get people to give them private information. That’s why local officials say it’s very important to check any odd message, especially those that include threats or demand quick action.
Don’t click on any links or reply if you’re not sure if a communication is real. Instead, use appropriate ways to get in touch with the agency directly to make sure.
