📍 Washington D.C., June 21, 2025 – The FBI has issued an urgent alert to over 1 billion iPhone users to delete a dangerous SMS scam pretending to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The text claims you have unpaid fines and includes a malicious link that can steal your data and potentially lock your device.
Cybersecurity experts confirm this is a widespread phishing attack using AI-generated threats to scare users into clicking malicious links.
🚨 How the Scam Works
• The text appears to come from an official DMV number.
• It includes threats of fines, legal action, or license suspension.
• Victims are asked to click a phishing link.
• Clicking may install spyware or steal personal/banking data.
📈 Rapid Growth of Attacks
• Phishing attacks via SMS have increased over 700% in one month.
• Most messages originate from criminal groups abroad, especially in China.
• iPhone users are particularly targeted due to default security settings that can be bypassed via SMS.
✅ What You Should Do
1. Delete the SMS immediately.
2. Do not click the link.
3. Report the message to the FBI’s IC3 portal.
4. On iPhones, enable “Delete & Report Junk” in Settings → Messages.
Experts stress that the DMV never communicates legal threats via text, and no government agency will ever send threats like this over SMS.
🔍 Quick Summary
Threat Level Action
Fake DMV SMS 🗑️ Delete it
Phishing Link 🚫 Do not click
Unknown Numbers 🚷 Block and report
Using AI Scams 🤖 Stay vigilant