COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Southern Colorado is warning consumers about a problem that’s hitting your phone.
The BBB says they’ve received an alarming number of reports involving variations of what they’re calling scam text messages claiming to be from the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles and EZ-Pass enforcement.
The Colorado DMV also released a statement about the fraudulent text messages.
The text may say that you owe toll fees, threaten DMV suspension, damage to your credit score, or other legal action if you don’t pay immediately.
The message includes a link, but clicking on it could give scammers access to your personal information, or even infect your phone with malware, according to the BBB.
“Just as soon as you submitted personal information and you determine that it’s a scam or suspect a scam," said Adah Rodriguez, Executive VP of Strategic Programs and Operations for BBB of Southern Colorado. "I would probably assume the worst, just so that you can take those special precautions to protect your identity moving forward.”
Keep in mind the following to avoid being taken advantage of, according to the BBB:
- Government agencies won’t contact you or ask for payment over text.
- Never trust an urgent message with links
- Don’t click the link or respond to the message. Instead, mark it as junk or spam using your phone’s options.
- Verify the potential bill independently by typing website or phone numbers directly.
- Unfamiliar sender information or suspicious URLs.
The BBB tells News5 the best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to avoid clicking any links and don’t respond. Rodriguez says even responding to these texts can be risky.
“As soon as you engage with a scammer, regardless if it’s a text message or a phone call, the scammer now knows that that’s a live line and that someone is going to respond and engage, which makes you a hot target for future scams,” said Rodriguez.
If you've already clicked the link, tell your bank and consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report. And remember, you’re not alone. There’s no need to be ashamed when reporting a fraud attempt.
You can report and share fraud attempts by using the BBB scam tracker.
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