CITYWIDE — A FAKE THREAT ABOUT UNPAID TRAFFIC TICKETS is again circulating among mobile phone customers with city area codes.
The messages typically inform the mobile customer that they have an unpaid traffic ticket, and threaten suspension of driving privileges unless the ticket is paid by June 21. The phone number appearing at the top of the message has a country code of +63, which is traced to the Philippines. The senders instruct the customer to use a link purporting to belong to the “DMV.”
However, within the metropolitan area, traffic-violation fines are not paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles (which is a statewide agency) but rather to the New York City Dept. of Finance. And such notices are sent via USPS mail to a verifiable address on driver licenses.
Readers receiving such messages are urged not to respond and instead forward them in text message form to their respective mobile carriers.
A prior broadcast earlier this month of similar messages impersonating motor vehicle agencies was traced to an Ontario, Canada number.
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