Kansas DMV Scam: Protecting Yourself from "Smishing"

Across the state of Kansas, to include residents of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, residents are being harassed by scammers claiming to be the Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles in pursuit of payment for a fine that does not exist. Messages received by potential victims have often threatened to begin enforcement on March 12th, stating "a traffic violation is marked on your driving record," and further threatens a "30-day suspension of license." This message is a scam known as "smishing," or SMS phishing.

Contents of the Message

A version of the message was forwarded to the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas Police Department which reads:

"DMV action notice: Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles.

Enforcement begins March 12th.

A traffic violation is marked on your driving record.

Under Kansas Administrative Code 16C-16.003, failure to settle by March 11th, 2026 will result in:

Permanent mark on official DMV file

Vehicle registration suspension March 12th

30-day suspension of license

35% penalty

Possible legal action

Please resolve immediately: [REDACTED]

Resolve immediately to stop suspension.

Failure to act leads to suspension.

Reply Y for info.

Access the link in your browser."

Important Things to Look For and Avoid

Receiving the Text

Kansas agencies wishing to address potential enforcement action against a person will do so either by US mail, personal document service, warrant arrest, or a citation. You will never receive a notification of this kind from an actual official agency in the state by way of text message.

The Link

In the line which states, "Please resolve immediately..." there will be a link ending in ".com," ".top," ".net," etc. Kansas agencies will never use these. Official state business which can be accessed via the internet will always end with ".gov".

Response Options

In the line which states, "Reply Y for info," is a trick scammers use to verify active phone numbers. By responding, you are telling the scammer your phone number is being used which will result in more scam attempts directed toward you.

Other Things to Look For

Enforcement Authority

To put it simply, in the context this message is trying to put across to potential victims, the Department of Motor Vehicle offices do not have powers of arrest, the qualified staff in their offices to make such arrests, or the ability to submit cases to a prosecutor directly.

The Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR), the state agency responsible for DMV offices, does have law enforcement professionals who carry out investigations relating to fraudulent activity within the realm of concern for KDOR. Otherwise, in relation to traffic and motor vehicle enforcement, the Kansas Highway Patrol holds full law enforcement authority. That said, messages like this will never be sent by, or at the request of, those agents or troopers.

Fake Laws

In the line stating "Under Kansas Administrative Code..." the message cites a law which does not exist in Kansas.

The Sender's Phone Number

In many cases regarding this scam specifically, the sender's phone number will begin with "+63" which is the Philippines' Country Code. The State of Kansas, in addition to the reasons provided here, amongst others, will not notify you of potential legal action via an individual in the Philippines. Note: There are scammers who "spoof" local phone numbers in order to lure potential victims.

The "Urgency Trap"

For as long as these scams have been happening, most scammers will use language which makes potential victims believe the matter they are trying to convince you to address is an emergency.

What to Do if You Receive Potential a Potential Scam Message or Call

Do Not Reply

As mentioned before, Replying "Y," or anything else, will notify the scammer that your number is active.

Do Not Click

If you have clicked the link and provided sensitive financial or personal information, you need to call/visit your bank to take steps to resolve the issue.

Report the Text

Individuals who receive potential scam messages can forward them to 7726 (or SPAM). Doing so helps cell carriers block the senders.

Phishing scams such as these have been a persistent issue since the mid-1990's. Scams via SMS text messaging, or "smishing," have grown in recent years; The beginning of the influx having started around 2020-2021. Multiple agencies, local and state governments, and other organizations have made great efforts to educate the masses on the issue. However, many individuals continue to fall victim to scams. We encourage residents to be aware of the signs of a scam and protect themselves against the tactics they use.

Payton R. Beims - Interim Chief of Police

info.ktikpd@gmail.com

785.486.1227