The FBI is encouraging millions of iPhone users throughout America to be vigilant for suspicious text messages and promptly delete them if they come across one.

Text scams are nothing new, but Forbes reports that this sort of text has increased by more than 700 percent in the previous month.

The surge has prompted police alerts around the country, and the FBI has also chimed in on the issue.

Americans have long been harassed by fraudulent, unpaid toll SMS, but these messages appear to have advanced as scammers pose as Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employees from several states.

What is the aim of the texts?

According to reports, these official-looking communications threaten consumers with losing their driving privileges or even jail time if they fail to pay an outstanding charge.

However, officials have cautioned that all of this is a scam and that someone is attempting to steal your personal information.

What did the authorities say?

FBI According to Tennessee Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer, such SMS ‘install malware on your phone, which then may go in and take information from your device or gather your financial information.’

Palmer also advised that if you receive a text from someone you don’t know with a link, don’t click it.

In light of this, we are urging consumers to swiftly delete such texts from their iPhones and Android devices.

Guarido, which protects your browser from malware, identity theft, and phishing, has been following these phony toll messages for months and has discovered a concerning ‘773 percent rise in DMV scam SMS during the first week of June’ alone.

“These scam texts lead to phishing websites designed to steal people’s credit card information and make unauthorized charges,” Guardio said, according to Forbes.

DMV Commissioner Mark J. F. Schroeder has also chimed in on the topic.

“These fraudsters bombard phones with SMS, aiming to fool unwary consumers into disclosing sensitive information. The DMV would never send SMS requesting sensitive information, he added.

Tennessee, New York, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, and Washington, DC, are among the states reportedly affected by these texts.

What to do if you receive a message?

First and foremost, do not respond to the content by clicking on any of the links. Just erase it. If you’ve entered personal information, you should immediately safeguard your accounts.