Iowa DOT Warns of Scam Texts Claiming Unpaid Tickets, Tolls

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Transportation is warning Iowans about a surge in fraudulent text messages falsely claiming recipients owe money for traffic violations, tolls or registration fees.

According to the Iowa DOT, the scam messages appear to come from the agency or a “DMV” and often instruct recipients to click on a link to resolve the alleged issue. The messages may claim unpaid tickets or fees and request personal information or credit card numbers.

Officials say the links frequently lead to websites designed to look like the official Iowa DOT site.

“These texts are not generated by the Iowa DOT,” the agency said, emphasizing that residents should not click on links, respond to the messages or provide any personal information.

The department noted it does not send payment requests via text message and will never ask for private or financial information through unsolicited messages. Payments are only handled through in-person transactions, physical mail or secure online systems initiated by the customer.

Additionally, the Iowa DOT does not collect tolls on any roads or bridges in the state.

Authorities say similar scams are being reported by transportation agencies nationwide.

How to Protect Yourself

Officials recommend taking the following steps if you receive a suspicious text:

• Do not click on links or respond to unexpected messages
• Report the message using your phone’s “report junk” feature or forward it to 7726 (SPAM)
• Delete the message after reporting it

While some government agencies may send confirmation texts, they will not ask for sensitive information via text or direct users to submit details through a simple link.

If You May Be a Victim

Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a scam is encouraged to:

• Contact local law enforcement and file a report
• Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov
• Consider checking their credit report and monitoring for identity theft

For questions related to Iowa Motor Vehicle Division records, residents can contact the Iowa DOT at [email protected] or call 515-244-8725.