Heads up: Another scam text claims you owe for an unpaid ticket

PHOENIX – Another scam text making the rounds claims you owe the Arizona Department of Vehicles (sic) for “an outstanding traffic ticket.”

You don’t. ADOT doesn’t collect for unpaid traffic tickets, and even if we did we wouldn’t be texting you like this. 

Please ignore these texts, which feature a graphic laced with enough bad grammar, botched punctuation, tortured syntax and errors of fact to enrage your favorite English teacher. And please do not click links in any suspect text message. 

Lowlights from this latest attempt to get your personal information and money:

• There is no State of Arizona Department of Vehicles.

• The acronym for this nonexistent entity wouldn’t be DMV, as the graphic shows.

• It includes an obviously problematic weblink where you can pay for this nonexistent ticket. Please don’t follow this link.

If you’re still concerned, you also can check your Motor Vehicle Division account at azmvdnow.gov to see any outstanding payments or visit an MVD office to inquire about any fees you may have. Average wait times are only 12 minutes.

Please visit azdot.gov/scams to see examples of scam texts and get tips, in English and Spanish, for protecting yourself.