The California Highway Patrol’s Santa Ana office is warning people about fake text messages claiming they owe money for unpaid tickets.
Several people have reported getting suspicious texts from unknown numbers. The messages say the person has unpaid tickets and are threatening them with final reminders, and include a payment link to avoid repercussions.
The texts are fake and part of a phishing scam. Please do not click links or share any personal or financial information with unknown callers or texters. CHP does not elicit payments via text message.
Text scams impersonating government agencies like the California Highway Patrol (CHP) are extremely common and are part of a nationwide surge in “smishing” (SMS phishing) attacks. Law enforcement and consumer protection agencies report a sharp increase in these fraudulent messages, which often use urgent threats of arrest or license suspension to pressure victims into acting.
Recent California Scam Examples
Scammers frequently impersonate state and local agencies to create a sense of urgency. Current 2025–2026 alerts include:
- California DMV (2025-2026): Widespread “final notice” texts threatening license or registration suspension for outstanding citations or tolls.
- FasTrak and Toll Roads (March 2025): Scams targeting drivers with fake “unpaid toll” charges for California express lanes and bridges.
- Employment Development Department (EDD): Smishing schemes tricking people into clicking links to “reactivate” accounts during transitions to new payment networks.
- Franchise Tax Board (September 2025): Fake texts claiming to be from the tax board offering “tax refunds” to steal personal information.
The Impact of These Crimes
- Financial Loss: Americans lost nearly half a billion dollars to scam texts last year. One in five victims reports losing $5,000 or more.
- High Volume: In a single day in September 2025, Americans reported a record 330,000 scam messages about unpaid toll fees.
- Underreporting: Only about 26% of people who lose money to an online scam actually report the incident to law enforcement.
- Sophistication: Modern scams use AI-generated lures to eliminate red flags like poor grammar, making them harder to detect.
How to Avoid and Handle These Scams
To stay safe, follow these best practices recommended by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and California Attorney General:
- Verify Independently: If you are concerned you might actually have a ticket, never use the contact information or links in the text. Instead, visit the official California Courts Find My Court page or contact your local DMV directly through their verified website.
- Identify Red Flags: Government agencies typically communicate through official postal mail, not unsolicited texts or calls. Be wary of:
- Urgent threats like “pay within 12 hours” or “final notice”.
- Generic greetings such as “Dear Customer”.
- Suspicious links that do not end in an official
.govdomain.
- Report the Scam: Reporting helps authorities track and shut down these operations.
- Forward to 7726 (SPAM): Most wireless carriers allow you to forward suspicious texts to this shortcode for investigation.
- Report to the FTC: File a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Report to the FBI: Use the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for cyber-related fraud.
- Block and Delete: Once you have reported the message, block the number and delete the text to prevent further interaction.
- Secure Your Accounts: If you accidentally clicked a link or shared information, immediately contact your bank to dispute charges and change your passwords