I think we, at least our land line, is still on the state do not call list, but we still seem to get an high amount of junk calls. Right now our phone will tell us the number calling, or if entered, the person. If it is a number we do not recognize we let it go to voice mail, and if a real person of interest to us, they would leave a message. Somehow they use numbers of other parties. One time they even used our own home land line number to call us. It was quite a surprise when the phone called out a call from that number.
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| Sample Text for toll Source: WI DMV |
I think the first text I received from the "WIDOT," perhaps more than a year ago, was regarding unpaid tolls. Wisconsin, unlike our Friendly Illinois Brethren (FIB) does not have any tollways. The more recent texts were about penalties and fines with a final notice before having my license revoked.
I am not sure who they get phone numbers, or email addresses from, perhaps from varied virus' they obtain information, or maybe they have some random number generators. I seldom text, or receive texts so when I receive one it is usually something I need to attend to. Last week, Tuesday, I was doing to my morning stretches and I received a text from an unknown number regarding outstanding fines or citations from the WI DOT and perhaps even its division of Motor Vehicles (I seldom read the whole text knowing it is a spam scan or phishing), and it was the last day to pay up or I would lose my license. I had my phone nearby so I deleted and reported it as junk. It occurred again, a few minutes later, and I did the same thing. Later in the morning I went for a bike ride, and I received one while biking, as it showed on my watch. I know it would not be the DMV because they are not known for being efficient, plus they do not text. The DMV is old school, even if you wanted to pay your vehicle registration on-line, they have a surcharge. So, we pay the old fashioned way by check through the US Mail. Further, the DMV does not really fine people, most fines are related to traffic violations which arise through the issuing governmental unit. Nonetheless this could be quite a scam opportunity. WIDOT and its DMV has even warned people about this scam.
I just wanted to get rid of the texts, so when I completed my bike ride and had gotten my cell phone out of its pouch I keep it in when biking, I again deleted and reported it as junk. Almost instantaneously I received another text on the same matter. I did the same thing--Delete and report. I thought it may be the end, but it was not, I received four or more texts on the same issue. It is heartening to know I am so important to them. Clearly, the report as junk was not doing much at this point. After the several texts of the DMV message I received one final message from the group which read--"PISS OFF". Apparently, they did not like my attitude and desired that I simply succumb to their demands. I deleted and reported that text. It is even more heartening to know that the person, or device sending the texts got as annoyed as I was. Heck it even read my mind as to near what I would have said if I had responded.
It must be a rather sophisticated operation to know when a text was deleted, to resend the message, until its last one. It was, in my opinion, annoying. I just hope that with them having sent that last text, that I have seen the DOT/DMV spams texts because they were pissed off. Although, I am not sure how many groups or individuals are doing the same text scam.
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