Expired driver’s licenses open lane for cybercriminals
After the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, many states issued emergency declarations allowing driver’s licenses to remain valid past expiration dates. But those extensions mostly have ended, and drivers now need to make sure their licenses are renewed.
Scammers are exploiting that shift, cybersecurity experts say.
Driver’s license phishing scams designed to steal people’s identities have been popping up across the U.S., according to state motor vehicle agencies.
Fraudsters send out texts or emails falsely warning that the target’s license needs to be updated, is missing information or is expiring. If the person clicks the link, it typically opens a Google Forms spreadsheet requesting personal information such as a Social Security number and date of birth.
“It’s really despicable,” said David Druker, a spokesperson for the Illinois secretary of state’s office, which issues driver’s licenses. “It’s just outrageous that when the country is going through the COVID crisis, people are taking the time and energy to steal information from others.”
In typical phishing, scammers email malicious links or attachments and people unwittingly click them. When the scammers operate through texting, the method is called “SMS phishing” or “smishing.”
In the past two months, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Vermont and Wyoming were among the states warning residents about the scams.
In Illinois, Druker said, thousands of people have received texts and emails in which scammers pose as the secretary of state or as officials from the state department of transportation. Druker said he is not aware whether anyone ..
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