Get a text from the NC DMV saying you owe money? Don’t believe it.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Scam texts claim NC DMV will penalize people for unpaid traffic tickets.
- DMV and Attorney General state texts are fraudulent and urge people to delete and report.
- Do not click links or send money; report scams to ncdoj.gov/report-robocalls.
If you receive a text message from the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles saying you have an unpaid traffic ticket, know this: It’s not real.
It’s the latest round of fake messages that aim to scam people out of money, according to the DMV and state Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
The texts make various threats if recipients don’t respond, including suspending their vehicle registration and driver’s license and possible prosecution. It provides a fake website and a deadline to pay the fine.
“The DMV does not collect traffic tickets by text, does not threaten people this way, and does not send links asking for payment,” Jackson said in a statement Wednesday.
There are clues that the texts are phony. The text refers to section 15C-16.003 of the North Carolina state code, which doesn’t exist. A similar text scam used the same made up numbers last summer. It also threatens a 35% service fee at “toll booths,” something that doesn’t exist in North Carolina.
In addition, the web address in the text includes “gov” but does not lead to a government site. The address ends in “.cc” the country code for the Cocos Islands, a remote territory of Australia.
The DMV urges people to report the texts as spam or junk and delete them. The Attorney General’s Office also asks people to report them to its Consumer Protection Division at ncdoj.gov/report-robocalls/. The division tracks scams and works with telecom companies to try to shut them down.
Above all, don’t click on the links provided or send any money.
To learn more about how to identify phishing texts and scams, go to ncdoj.gov/internet-safety/phishing/.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Get a text from the NC DMV saying you owe money? Don’t believe it.."
