Friday morning, several folks sitting at coffee at CTX (114 E Dewey Ave) all got a text message at roughly the same time. Unsurprisingly, they all conveyed the same message, to a tee: a threatening message about an unpaid driving ticket, stating that if it were not quickly taken care of, it would lead to suspension of vehicle registration, driving privileges, and possibly prosecution.
Of course, none of it was real; just the latest in a series of increasingly normal scams via text messages, whereby thieves hope to swindle some unsuspecting victim out of their savings or paycheck.
The Creek County Sheriff’s Office sent an alert out on their Facebook Page alluding to the increasing regularity of the scams.
“On today’s edition of ‘It’s a scam!’ we have a double whammy!” they began, before painting a picture of the exact text message scam that had been sent out just earlier that morning.
“The Creek County Court Clerk is spreading the word about a tricky texting scammer threatening to impound vehicles over unpaid traffic tickets,” they said. “If you receive one of these messages and are concerned, please call the Court Clerk at (918) 227-2525 to clear up any confusion. As always, do not click any links or pay any money through these messages!”
The next scam the CCSO warned of had been received by Sheriff Bret Bowling himself.
“The next scam appears to come from the DMV. This message comes with some very serious-sounding threats, up to and including legal action and a negative impact on your credit score!”
The post goes on to mention that the state’s Department of Public Safety or Service Oklahoma would be the one to handle issues related to driving, not the DMV. “If any fees were actually owed, these agencies would send a letter to your last known address, not a threatening text to your phone,” they said.
It’s important to confirm your suspicions before you send any money or click a link. If you have any questions about the validity of such messages, the CCSO welcomes you to call their non-emergency number at 918-224-4964.
