MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Supervisor Deanna Alexander issued the following statement alerting residents of a new wave of scam text messages targeting Wisconsin motorists. These deceptive texts threaten recipients with legal consequences—such as license suspension, prosecution, and credit damage—if they don’t pay a fake ticket via a provided link. The urgent, alarmist language is designed to pressure recipients into action.
“Scammers are targeting Wisconsin residents by sending text messages that create a sense of doom and urgency,” said Supervisor Alexander. “We ask that anyone receiving messages like this delete the message immediately – it is not real. And please, check in with loved ones who may not be familiar with these scams and help educate them.”
Key warnings from law enforcement and the DMV include:
- Messages falsely appear to come from: “Wisconsin DMV”
- False threats include vehicle registration suspension, credit damage, prosecution, and driving privilege suspension
- Senders often request immediate payment via a suspicious link and ask recipients to reply
- Some originate from international numbers, notably +63 910 370 5724, indicating a potential phishing attempt from the Philippines
- The Wisconsin DMV has reiterated: it never issues citations or demands payment via text and advises residents not to click any links
What you should do:
- Delete the message immediately—it is a scam, even if you have outstanding tickets
- Do NOT click the link or reply
- Check in with loved ones, especially older adults, who may not recognize these scam tactics
- Report suspicious messages to law enforcement
