State officials are warning Louisiana residents of a new scam involving fraudulent text messages that falsely claim to be from the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV).
According to a public alert issued by the OMV, the scam messages allege unpaid toll charges or vehicle-related violations and direct recipients to click on links to avoid fines or license suspension. The agency emphasized it does not collect toll violation fees or send such notices by text or email.
“This is a scam. Do not click on the link or share personal information,” the OMV stated in a Facebook post accompanied by examples of the deceptive messages. “These texts are part of a phishing scheme designed to trick recipients into sharing personal or financial information or clicking malicious links that can install malware or steal data.”
The OMV has directed residents to avoid responding to or engaging with any suspicious messages. Instead, individuals are advised to report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Gov. Jeff Landry also urged caution, noting the messages include a spoofed link and false toll penalty, which cybersecurity experts warn may be a ploy to collect personal data. “Louisiana OMV does not use text messages for collection purposes,” the statement read.
Residents who are uncertain about the status of their driver’s license can verify it at www.expresslane.org/DLstatus. For any toll-related concerns, the OMV advised contacting official tolling agencies directly.
