Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning residents after an uptick in DMV text scams claiming to enforce a January 17 deadline.

According to Giannoulias, the texts claim to be from the "Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles" and threaten driving privileges. The texts say "enforcement actions will begin tomorrow, January 17th." 

Anyone who receives a similar message should not respond or click through any links provided. Illinois residents can report scam texts here. 

"The Illinois Secretary of State's office does not send text messages demanding payment for traffic fines or requesting driver's license or vehicle registration information," Giannoulias said. "The only text messages sent by the office are appointment reminders for scheduled DMV appointments."