BMV Smishing
BMV smishing attacks are a new popular attack being reported. In this article you will learn how to prevent, spot, and stop these attacks.
Smishing is a form of social engineering that uses SMS, or text messages. It is the act of sending phishing messages through said text message. The attacker will send an SMS message claiming to be from the BMV. These fake messages will typically inform you that you have an outstanding traffic ticket. The text then instructs you to pay a fine immediately to avoid punishment. This attack focuses on urgency to get you to give up your personal or financial information quickly, before you realize it is a scam.
Spotting and Stopping Messaging Attacks
- Check the phone number from which the message is being sent. Is it affiliated with the Ohio BMV? Does the sender’s number match up with any of the contact information seen here? If not, then you should delete the message and block the sender.
- These messages may contain URLs to fake websites that look like the official Ohio BMV website. Clicking on these links without first verifying that they are safe can lead to your device being infected with malware. More in-depth information on finding out if these links are malicious can be found here.
- When looking at the message, is there a sense of urgency to scare you into making a quick decision? Scam messages tend to rush you into making quick decisions, creating a stressful time crunch. This tactic creates heightened vulnerability in users and increases the scammer’s rate of success.
- Please share this information with anyone you can think of to help keep everyone safe from these attacks. Click here to learn more about fraud recovery!
REMEMBER:
Government agencies will never contact you via text message. The Ohio BMV will never send you a text demanding payment or personal information. If you ever get an alarming message from an organization, call or email the organization back directly. Do not use the contact information provided in the message. Always go to the organization’s website and use a trusted and verifiable phone number or email. The official Ohio BMV website can be used to contact them directly.
How Can I Report A BMV Smish?
You can report this scam to the Federal Trade Commission by visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.
You can also report to Kent State by following these instructions.