Georgia officials are warning residents to be on alert after a wave of scam text messages claiming to come from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS).
Chattooga County Tax Commissioner Joy Hampton is warning residents about a scam involving fake notices claiming your vehicle registration is about to be canceled.
The scam message appears to come from a Georgia court and threatens enforcement action over an alleged traffic violation. It often includes a QR code and urges immediate action.
Officials say the notice is fraudulent and designed to scare recipients into responding or providing personal information.
Hampton urges residents to be cautious and look for red flags, including missing personal details like your name, license plate number, or address. She also warns never to scan QR codes or respond to suspicious messages.
If you receive a message like this, do not engage. Instead, report it and verify any concerns directly through official state or county offices.
Authorities remind residents that legitimate government agencies will not request sensitive information through unsolicited messages.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services is warning residents about a phishing scam involving fake text messages that claim to be from state agencies. Officials say the messages may demand payment for tickets or threaten driver’s license suspension, but DDS says these texts are not legitimate and are designed to steal personal information. DDS officials stress they will never contact people by text message asking for payment or sensitive details, and residents should avoid clicking any links and instead verify license status directly at the official site: dds.drives.ga.gov.
North Georgia EMC is warning members about scam emails and messages circulating across the Southeast that falsely claim the TVA is preparing for rolling blackouts and urge recipients to click a link for more information.
The utility says these messages are not legitimate and are designed to steal money and/or install viruses on your device, and they are not coming from TVA or any power provider.
Officials say another related scam involves messages claiming a customer has unusually high power usage and demanding immediate payment. North Georgia EMC stresses those messages are also fake and warns members not to click any links, share personal information, or respond to threatening payment demands.
If you receive a suspicious message, delete it and contact your utility directly using an official phone number or website.
A new email scam promising a free Thanksgiving meal from Costco is circulating nationwide, and officials warn that Chattooga County residents should be on alert. The message, which appears to come from Costco, offers an “exclusive gourmet Thanksgiving turkey dinner” in exchange for completing a short survey.