Scott Marler, Iowa DOT Director | Iowa Department of Transportation
Scott Marler, Iowa DOT Director | Iowa Department of Transportation
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a warning about fraudulent text messages targeting residents with false claims of unpaid tolls or traffic violations. These scams, which are also occurring nationwide, involve texts that appear to be from the Iowa DOT or "DMV." The messages falsely claim recipients owe unpaid traffic fines or registration fees and urge them to click on a link to provide personal and financial information.
Ryan Ridout, Director of the Iowa DOT Bureau of Investigation and Identity, emphasized that these texts are not from the Iowa DOT. He advised individuals not to click on links within these messages or provide any personal details. Ridout said, "The Iowa DOT does not send out fee collection reminders via text, and will never text customers asking for private or financial information."
Ridout explained that any legitimate payment requests from the Iowa DOT occur through personal transactions, physical mail, or online transactions initiated by the customer. He also clarified that the Iowa DOT does not collect tolls on its roads or bridges.
To combat these scams, Ridout suggested several precautions: do not click on links in unexpected texts; report unwanted messages using your phone's "report junk" option or forward them to 7726 (SPAM); and delete such texts after reporting them. He noted that while some government agencies use text messaging for communication, they should never request confidential information through this medium.
For those who suspect they have fallen victim to a scam, Ridout recommended filing a police report with local law enforcement and contacting organizations like AARP’s Fraud Watch Helpline. Victims can also report incidents to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/?orgcode=IADOT or the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
For further inquiries about these scams, media representatives can contact Ryan Ridout directly at 515-237-3260 or ryan.ridout@iowadot.us.
Information from this article can be found here.
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