State officials in both Kansas and Oklahoma are warning residents about a current scam circulating in both states.

 

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond along with the Kansas Departments of Revenue and Transportation, warn that residents have reported receiving text messages that appear to be from state agencies, Scammers are impersonating the DMV and toll authorities and sending urgent texts that demand immediate payment for "unpaid traffic tickets" or "outstanding tolls." These messages often threaten license suspension to pressure victims into clicking malicious links.

 

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and Oklahoma Highway Patrol do not collect payments for traffic violations. Instead, fines are collected by the court clerk’s office. In Kansas, KDOT does not manage tolls and Kansas DMV do not notify residents of suspensions or fines via text message.

 

To protect yourself from potential fraud, do not click on links within suspicious texts, as doing so can expose your sensitive personal and financial data to scammers. If you believe you may actually owe a fine, verify the claim by contacting the relevant organization directly through official channels rather than using a link provided in a text. In Kansas, you can check the status of your driver's license for free on the Department of Revenue website. If you receive one of these texts, use your phone’s "Report Spam" feature before deleting the message to help prevent future attempts.