Sun Jun 01 16:10:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

PennDOT is warning Pennsylvania residents about a text message scam falsely claiming to be from the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles.” These texts threaten suspension of vehicle registration, driver’s licenses, and negative impacts on credit scores if outstanding tickets aren’t paid immediately. PennDOT emphasizes they do not send texts about traffic violations or fines and advises recipients to ignore the texts, not click on any links, report them as spam, and delete them. The scam is identifiable by the incorrect department name used in the text message.

**News Article:**

**PennDOT Warns of “Department of Motor Vehicles” Text Scam Threatening License Suspension**

**PITTSBURGH (CBS Pittsburgh) – May 30, 2025 -** The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is issuing a stark warning to residents about a prevalent text message scam designed to defraud drivers. The fraudulent texts claim to be from the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles” – a nonexistent entity – and threaten suspension of vehicle registration, driver’s licenses for a month, and a hit to credit scores if an alleged outstanding ticket is not paid immediately.

“These texts are not from PennDOT, and they are a scam,” emphasized PennDOT’s Aimee Inama. “PennDOT does not send text messages regarding traffic violations or fines.”

The texts attempt to create a sense of urgency and fear, prompting recipients to click on embedded links and potentially provide personal and financial information. Officials urge anyone receiving such a message to disregard it entirely.

“Drive happily on your way, and ignore the threat that you will be prosecuted,” Inama advised. “Do not click on any of the links and just report it as spam. Just delete it, get rid of it, and just know that it didn’t come from PennDOT.”

A key red flag identifying the scam is the sender’s claimed affiliation with the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles.” While PennDOT does have a Division of Drivers and Vehicle Services, no department exists under the name cited in the scam texts.

PennDOT encourages anyone who receives these fraudulent messages to report them via their website.

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