March 23, 2026– Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning residents about a rise in fraudulent text messages claiming to be from the Illinois Secretary of State or the DMV.
Officials say the messages often threaten license suspension, vehicle registration penalties or other enforcement actions unless recipients click a link or pay a fee. The texts may appear legitimate by referencing fake regulations or urgent deadlines.
The Secretary of State’s office says the messages are scams designed to pressure individuals into providing personal or financial information.
Residents are advised not to click links, respond to the messages or share any information. Suspicious texts should be reported by forwarding them to scamalert@ilsos.gov.
Officials also note the office only sends text reminders for scheduled DMV appointments and does not contact individuals about license status or payment demands via text.
