Driver's License Identity Theft Scam via SMS/Text Message
Fraudsters send text messages impersonating a state motor vehicle department to trick recipients into photographing and submitting their driver's license for identity theft.
Part of: Driver's License Identity Theft
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Text messages remain one of the most effective channels for driver's license identity theft because a short, official-sounding SMS about a suspended license or unpaid toll creates immediate anxiety that pushes recipients to act before thinking to verify the sender.
How this scam works on SMS/Text Message
A text arrives claiming the recipient's license is suspended, points, or a toll violation is unpaid, with a link to a lookalike DMV portal. The page asks the visitor to upload front-and-back photos of their driver's license along with their Social Security number and a selfie 'for verification,' supposedly to resolve the issue instantly online. Because the message uses urgent, bureaucratic language and a link that resembles a real government domain, victims frequently comply without calling the actual DMV to confirm anything is wrong.
Once submitted, the license images and personal data are used to open credit accounts, file fraudulent unemployment or tax claims, or create convincing fake IDs, and because the entire interaction happened over a text link, there's rarely any customer service record to trace back to the scammer.
Common red flags
- An unsolicited text claims your license is suspended or a toll/fine is overdue with a link to 'resolve it'
- The link domain resembles but doesn't exactly match your state DMV's real web address
- You're asked to upload photos of your physical license and a selfie through a text-linked form
- The message uses urgent countdown language like 'respond within 24 hours to avoid suspension'
- No reference number matches anything in your actual DMV or toll authority account
- The sender number is a standard mobile number rather than a short code used by real government agencies
How to protect yourself
- Never tap links in unsolicited texts about license or toll issues — go directly to your state DMV's official site instead
- Call your DMV's published phone number to verify any claimed suspension or violation
- Never upload photos of your driver's license through a link received via text
- Enable your phone's spam/scam text filtering and report suspicious numbers
- Check your state DMV account directly for any real notices rather than trusting a text link
- Freeze your credit with all three bureaus if you already submitted license images to a suspicious link
How to report it
- Forward the scam text to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your mobile carrier
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and IdentityTheft.gov if you submitted information
- Report to your state DMV's fraud unit directly
- File a complaint with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov
Frequently asked questions
Does the DMV really text people about suspended licenses?
Most state DMVs do not initiate contact about suspensions or violations via unsolicited text with a payment or upload link — official notices typically come by mail, and any real issue can be verified by calling the DMV directly.
What should I do if I already uploaded my license photo to a scam link?
Go to IdentityTheft.gov to create a recovery plan, place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three credit bureaus, and contact your actual DMV to flag your license as compromised.