Wisconsin officials warn of refund scam

December 1, 2023

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Messages promising a refund from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation or Department of Motor Vehicles are indeed a scam, according to state officials.

The Wisconsin DOT said it’s aware of phishing attempts where scammers claim to be with the state DOT or DMV to get recipients to click on a fraudulent link that will share their personal information.

There have been reported phishing attempts like this one where scammers are pretending to be WisDOT and/or the DMV. Remember: never click on suspicious links from unknown senders. pic.twitter.com/I1bRQnjq3y

— Wisconsin DOT (@WisconsinDOT) November 28, 2023

WisDOT is advising anyone who receives an unsolicited text or email similar to the message above to not respond, engage with the sender or click on any corresponding links.

The Wisconsin DMV said it offers an eNotify program that provides users with renewal reminders and account activity alerts.

That program also covers CDL notifications such as federal medical card and hazardous materials certification renewals, as well as address updates and driver’s license renewals, among other things.

A confirmation of transactions, similar to what financial institutions use, helps detect any fraudulent activity.

Trucker-specific scams

Text, email and mail scams often target truckers.

In fact, OOIDA learned of a scam that hijacked DOT numbers this past summer.

This was the result of a temporary adjustment made by FMCSA for carriers updating their MCS-150 via the manual form. As a result, carriers said brokers from load boards were contacting them to request a copy of their commercial driver’s license before accepting the load.

According to Crystal Minardi, a supervisor for OOIDA’s permits and licensing department, this was a huge red flag, as a reputable broker would not request such information.

The OOIDA Foundation offers a business education video series for professional drivers on its YouTube page. Phishing specifically is covered in the video below.