Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles issues warning of scams costing customers

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is reminding customers to use only Mass.Gov/RMV for Commonwealth of MA Registry information or to perform many transactions, including when trying to renew a license or registration. Customers should beware of text messages or emails which claim to be from MassDOT or the RMV, as these communications often are dangerous phishing scams and not official MassDOT/RMV sources. These fraudulent texts and emails may include links, which do not lead to MassDOT or RMV websites and customers should not follow the links nor reply to these messages with personal information.

“Customers should use just one website to ensure they are using the official Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles website and that site is Mass.Gov/RMV,” said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie. “Customers should never respond to texts or emails asking for personal information and should avoid using any unofficial third-party websites claiming to assist with RMV services.”

Customers may use these helpful hints to determine whether the website they are using is the official site for the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.

-Massachusetts uses the abbreviation “RMV.” Any website using the phrase “Department of Motor Vehicles,” or “DMV,” should be avoided.

-Do not follow links from mobile text messages claiming to be the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) or the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV); always use the official Mass.Gov links.

-Make sure the Commonwealth’s seal is located somewhere on the page. This will help ensure that it is an official government website. If it cannot be found, customers should leave the site immediately.

-Always read the fine print and look for key phrases such as “for-profit” or “privately owned” at the top or bottom of the third-party websites which may note that they are not affiliated with the Commonwealth.

-The Registry will never charge a customer to check the status of a license, registration, or title. If the site requires payment to access this information, it is an unsecured mimic site.

-At Mass.Gov/RMV, a customer will never be charged to access Registry forms and information, but unofficial third-party sites may charge for this service. Their information is also not guaranteed to be accurate.

The Registry never charges for address changes. If a customer uses a mimic site, the change cannot be guaranteed to have actually gone through.

Any information on these third-party websites may not be accurate, and any details or payments that customers submit may not be secure. The RMV is not responsible for the content or actions taken by these sites. For more information on the dangers of third-party services, visit the Mass.Gov/RMV.

Customers with additional questions can contact the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation by calling the Consumer Hotline at (617) 973-8787, or toll-free in MA at (888) 283-3757.

For the latest Registry updates and information, follow the RMV on Twitter @MassRMV.