Do not click on DMV texting scam link, authorities warn

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Photo of a fraudulent message shared by the Anoka County Sheriff's Office.  (Supplied)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A scam text was sent to phones in the Twin Cities area on Sunday, and law enforcement officials are warning people not to click on the link.

DMV scam text

What they're saying:

The Anoka County Sheriff's Office said on its social media that a text message claiming to be from the "Minnesota Department of Vehicle Administration" is not legitimate.

Anyone who gets the message is warned not to click on the link within the text. 

There is no such organization called the "Minnesota Department of Vehicle Administration."

A similar scam was sent out last month. 

The Minnesota Department of Transportation shared the following statement on the scam text:

How to recognize and report scam text messages

Dig deeper:

Minnesota ranks 12th in the nation for consumers reporting impostor scams, and the median loss is about $800.

"Nowadays, the computer is a weapon. The cell phone is a weapon and that’s what they are using," says Boima Freeman, a Senior Financial Fraud Investigator for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

"These are criminals, and they are really good at what they do," adds Jacqueline Olson, the Enforcement Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. "If they are trying to keep it a secret, and they are telling you to do it fast, everyone should just pause."

"If someone is on the phone telling you to purchase a gift card, gift cards are only for gifts. The FBI will never ask you or the IRS will never ask you to pay with a gift card," adds Freeman.

What you can do:

Experts say look for red flags, such as the number is not in your contacts, the number is international, the sender starts asking for your bank account number or remote access to your computer. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has more information on how to recognize scams and how to report them here.