Scam alert: Officers warn of new, ‘sophisticated’ scheme involving Ohio BMV accounts

OHIO — The Ohio Department of Public Safety issued a warning Tuesday about a “sophisticated identity theft scheme” impacting people across the county, including Ohio residents.

According to ODPS, the scheme involves the use of stolen personal information to answer online Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) security questions and gain access to individual BMV accounts.

Once inside the person’s account, identity thieves then request a driver’s license or identification card reprint be mailed to a new address.

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“This scheme is incredibly concerning, not only because criminals are ordering up legitimate driver’s licenses but because they can use these cards and the stolen personal information to potentially access your bank account,” said ODPS Director Andy Wilson. “If you receive a postcard from the Ohio BMV telling you about an address change that you did not request, it’s important that you immediately take action.”

The scheme was first identified in Texas earlier this year, ODPS said. Thousands of replacement driver’s licenses were sent to unauthorized parties using stolen personal information.

In Ohio, ODPS says the BMV has initiated contact with around 90 Ohioans whose stolen information was used to obtain or attempt to obtain a driver’s license reprint.

It is currently unknown where the thieves obtained the stolen personal information.

ODPS emphasized that Ohio systems were not breached.

The Ohio BMV has reported the fraud to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and has additional resources to monitoring patterns associated with the scheme.

Anyone who receives a postcard from the BMV notifying you of online profile changes that you did not request are being advised to immediately contact the BMV at 1-(844)-644-6268.

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