Michigan Residents Warned About New SOS Text Scam

Scammers are always looking for new ways to scam people. And with technology always changing, they have to adapt to keep up with it. Hence, the latest scam that's making its way through Michigan.

The latest scam going through Michigan has to do with text messages and the Secretary of State.

Michigan SOS Scam Targeting Michigan Drivers

If you live in the state of Michigan, you know that we don't have the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) like some states do. Instead, we have the Secretary of State. That's where you go to deal with anything relating to your vehicle—getting a driver's license, updating your registration, getting a new license plate... you get the picture.

The Secretary of State (SOS) is warning us about the latest scam that's going around via text message. Scammers are posing as SOS, sending texts messages impersonating them, and demanding payment for a delinquent traffic offense that NEVER HAPPENED.

Take a look at the message I got just this week:

Red Flags That Prove This Text Is a Scam

How do we know this is a scam? Well, besides the fact that the SOS has come right out and told us, there are a few other signs that make it a dead giveaway:

• High pressure urgency - The text message uses a lot of verbiage that is meant to create urgency and panic, so you don't think about what you're doing.
• Threatens legal action - This is another tactic used to make you sweat.
• Unusual payment method - The website the text tells you to go to in order to make a payment isn't even the Michigan SOS website.
• Sender info - This text message appears to have been sent by a random Gmail account, and nothing official from the SOS office.

If you happened to receive one of these suspicious texts messages recently, ignore them! It's a total scam.