Giannoulias warns of new round of scam texts purporting to come from his office

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.

The messages threaten vehicle registration suspension, license penalties, and other enforcement actions if the recipient does not click or link or pay a purported fine.

Giannoulias said scammers have escalated their tactics lately, with messages that look real and official by including fabricated regulations, deadlines, or commencement dates for penalties. Many of the messages cite an upcoming enforcement date and warn of severe consequences to the recipients if they don't act quickly.

None of it is real, Giannoulias' office emphasized. The scams are designed to cause recipients to panic and to trick them into handing over money or personal information.

Anyone who receives a suspicious text is reminded not to click the links, not to reply, and not to provide personal information. Texts should be reported to scamalert@ilsos.gov.