“Today we learned of a new scam,” cops in Franklin Township in Somerset County said in a social media post. “If you receive a text from the MVC telling you to update your information, DO NOT CLICK ON IT. This shortened URL brings you to a phishing website and it could lead to your identity being stolen. Those that are trying to steal your identity are finding new and creative ways to commit their crimes.”
The text reads, “New Jersey Department of Transportation, You need to validate your Driver’s license information with us for Traffic safety.” A link is then provided.
If unwitting people click on the link, they are taken to a page where a form asks for person information.
A Franklin Township police spokesman said no one has reported being duped.
“We have not received any actual reports from our residents,” Capt. Philip Rizzo said in an email Tuesday morning. “It was passed on to us by a friend of the agency and confirmed with MVC that it was not legitimate.”
A spokesman for the MVC, meanwhile, cautioned anyone who might receive the text to ignore it.
“The NJMVC does not ask individuals to confirm or update their driver license information by text message,” the spokesman said in an email. “Customers should always be wary of clicking on links received in text messages from unknown numbers and are encouraged to use the resources provided by the Division of Consumer Affairs to learn more about how to protect their digital information and report any potentially fraudulent activity.
“The NJMVC has referred the suspicious text to the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) for further investigation.”
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