Wisconsin Department Of Transportation Warns Of Text Scam
As we head into the holiday season, it isn't all happiness and cheer. There is yet another scam you should be aware of, especially if you live in Wisconsin.
The most recent scam that has been making headlines involves a Minnesotan woman who allegedly swindled two people out of thousands of dollars. The Hopkins native branded herself as a psychic and spiritual healer.
As a result, these two clients were told they had curses and the only way they could be cured was if they did things like open a large line of credit, pay thousands of dollars to said psychic and buy expensive items. All in all, about $130,000 was stolen from the two individuals throughout an extended period of time.
Even local businesses in the Twin Ports have been hit by scams like this. A few months back, for example, a new business in Superior was hit with a Facebook scam. A scammer was posing as the business on Facebook and asking customers for their credit card information.
Now, another scam is circulating and targeting those that live in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation issued a warning about the scam on their Facebook page Friday (November 19th).
According to their post, a fake text scam is circulating. The scam is pretty common to others that have gone around in that includes a warning and a link, likely one that would be used as a means of phishing personal or banking information.
They also shared a screenshot of the text in question. The scammer says that the Wisconsin DMV needs you to update some of your information in their system and warns that if you don't, your license could be suspended.
Obviously, it is unlikely that the DMV would suspend your license or have a security fail on their end. However, because scammers are sophisticated these days, the text message seems legitimate.
As with any scam or situation, do not click on a link via text if you can't confirm where it came from. If you aren't sure if something is a scam or not, do not click on anything. Instead, take a second and reach out to the organization and see if it is real or fake.
This probably doesn't need to be said but also avoid giving out any personal information over text message. Whether it is personal information, banking information or anything of the sort, this is a great way for scammers to get information.
A similar situation happened in Minnesota recently. The Minnesota Department of Transportation issued a warning about a text message scam that is pretty much the same exact thing as the scam you just read about. The only slight difference is the fact that the text circulating in Minnesota said the consumer had money they were owed but could only get it if they claimed it by clicking a link.
The Better Business Bureau also issued a warning recently. With the holiday season in full swing and people picking up seasonal jobs, it is important to look out for scams. Scammers are not above posing as a company and stealing from people looking for a job.