Citation payment email a scam, state warns

Consumers may have been targeted by a scam demanding payment for fraudulent citations, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) warned in a release Tuesday.

According to the release, a company representing itself as the DHSMV, but not associated with the department, will send emails requesting payment for a citation. If not paid in a certain amount of time, the email claims the company will require a daily late payment fee.

The email includes a link to a payment page — which appears to be inactive — and an email address, the release stated.

No payment should be made to the email or payment page, the DHSMV warned. If a payment has been made, consumers should take appropriate security measures with their financial institution and refute the charge.

The DHSMV reminds consumers:

• The DHSMV and Clerks of Court do not email citations to customers;
• The DHSMV and Clerks of Court do not require citation payment via email;
• Citation numbers are always seven alpha-numeric digits;
• If a consumer receives a notice regarding a suspicious citation, they should contact the local Clerk of Court or call the DHSMV immediately.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 11:31 PM with the headline "Citation payment email a scam, state warns."