How can I tell whether I really have a ticket?

Look it up yourself. IMPD points Indiana drivers to myBMV.com, the BMV Contact Center at 1-888-692-6841, and the Indiana courts case search at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. Boston police point residents to the City of Boston's official parking page.

What if the text is about an unpaid toll instead?

The same approach applies, and our alert Text About an Unpaid Toll? It Is Almost Certainly a Scam covers those messages. IMPD said the Indiana Toll Road operator does not text or call asking for unpaid toll payments.

Scam alert

Text Says Your License Will Be Suspended Over a Ticket? It's a Scam

Posted Oct 19

Indianapolis, Boston and North Carolina · nextdoor.com · Arrives by a text message, phone call, or voicemail

The short answer

A text that says you owe a traffic ticket or fine and that your driver's license will be suspended unless you pay through a link is a scam. Indianapolis police said in September 2026 that the Indiana BMV does not text about unpaid tickets or license suspensions, and in October Boston police described texts, calls, and voicemails claiming unpaid parking or traffic tickets. Don't tap the link, scan a QR code, or call back. Look up any ticket yourself on your state's motor-vehicle site or your city or court's official page, and forward the text to 7726.

What is happening

On September 29, 2026, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department warned that texts and emails posing as the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, local traffic courts, and toll authorities claim unpaid citations or registration problems, threaten license suspension or late fees within 24 to 72 hours, and link to look-alike sites that collect card or Social Security numbers. On October 2, WataugaOnline reported that the Watauga County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina listed fake DMV and traffic-ticket texts that threaten license suspension among its top 10 scams. Some messages say you owe a city parking or traffic ticket instead: on October 7, the Boston Police Department and The Boston Globe described texts, calls, and voicemails that sound like the City of Boston or local courts and send people to a link, a payment page, or a QR code, with threats of late fees and legal trouble.

How to recognize it

A message says your license or registration will be suspended unless you pay a ticket or fine right away, sometimes within 24 to 72 hours.
It names a motor-vehicle office, a traffic court, or your city, and gives you a link, a payment page, or a QR code.
In Indiana, it says DMV, even though the state's office is the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
The payment page asks for a card number or your Social Security number.
It can arrive as a call or a voicemail, not only a text.

What to do instead

Don't tap the link, scan the code, reply, or call a number given in the message.
Look up your license and any ticket yourself on your state's official motor-vehicle site or your city's or court's own page. In Indiana that is myBMV.com. In Boston, it is the City of Boston's official parking ticket page.
Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block them, then delete them.
Never pay a fine with a gift card, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.
If you want to tell someone, the rule is: a real ticket can be looked up on the official site, so never pay from the message.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

Paying a ticket that looked official is common and understandable. These messages are built to sound like a real agency or court.
If you entered card details, call your card company on the number on the back of the card and say the payment page was not genuine.
If you entered your Social Security number or driver's license number, start at IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan.
Report it to your local police on their non-emergency line, and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Open Help Now

Common questions

How can I tell whether I really have a ticket?: Look it up yourself. IMPD points Indiana drivers to myBMV.com, the BMV Contact Center at 1-888-692-6841, and the Indiana courts case search at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. Boston police point residents to the City of Boston's official parking page.
What if the text is about an unpaid toll instead?: The same approach applies, and our alert Text About an Unpaid Toll? It Is Almost Certainly a Scam covers those messages. IMPD said the Indiana Toll Road operator does not text or call asking for unpaid toll payments.

Practice this safely

Practice checking a bill or notice on a site you look up yourself, instead of the link you were sent.

Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.

Start the four-story practice

Tell someone

Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.

Text Says Your License Will Be Suspended Over a Ticket? It's a Scam

A text that says you owe a traffic ticket or fine and that your driver's license will be suspended unless you pay through a link is a scam. Indianapolis police said in September 2026 that the Indiana BMV does not text about unpaid tickets or license suspensions, and in October Boston police described texts, calls, and voicemails claiming unpaid parking or traffic tickets. Don't tap the link, scan a QR code, or call back. Look up any ticket yourself on your state's motor-vehicle site or your city or court's official page, and forward the text to 7726.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/dmv-license-suspension-text-scam

Where this comes from

These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.

More recent alerts

This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

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