Missouri DOR Warns of Phishing Text Scams

MO DOR News Releases

Published March 5th, 2026

Detected March 20th, 2026

Summary

The Missouri Department of Revenue has issued a warning regarding a surge in phishing text message scams targeting Missourians. These fraudulent texts falsely claim to be from the DOR or DMV and threaten recipients with fines or suspension of privileges if immediate payment is not made. The department advises recipients not to click links or provide personal information.

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What changed

The Missouri Department of Revenue has issued a news release warning the public about an increase in phishing text message scams. These fraudulent messages impersonate the DOR, DMV, or other trusted entities, often threatening recipients with consequences such as vehicle registration suspension or prosecution for unpaid traffic violations or fines. The department explicitly states that these texts are not from them and advises recipients to avoid clicking on links, sharing personal information, or responding to the messages, and to delete them.

While this is a notice and not a rule, consumers receiving these texts should exercise extreme caution and follow the DOR's advice to protect themselves from fraud. The primary action required is to ignore and delete the scam messages and to share this awareness alert with others. There are no direct compliance obligations for regulated entities, but businesses should be aware of potential customer confusion or impact on their own communications if their branding is misused.

What to do next

Delete phishing text messages without clicking links or providing personal information.
Share the fraud alert with family, friends, and colleagues to increase public awareness.

Source document (simplified)

Department of Revenue News Release

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News Item March 05, 2026

Be Aware; Another Round of Text Scams

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Missouri Department of Revenue urges Missourians to remain alert as another surge in phishing texts has been reported. These texts are often threatening and falsely claim to be from a trusted source, such as the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the DMV. These text messages may include a warning regarding unpaid traffic violations, outstanding toll charges, or other fines owed. These may also contain threats of suspension of your vehicle registration or driving privileges, service charges, or prosecution if you do not pay.

These texts are NOT from the Missouri Department of Revenue and should be treated as scams. The department will not send requests for payment or request personal information via text message. If you receive one of these phishing texts, take the following action:

Do not click on links
Do not provide personal information such as Social Security numbers, banking details, or passwords
Do not respond to the text
Delete the text Please help increase public awareness and fraud protection by sharing this alert with family, friends, and colleagues.