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Fla. Dept Of Highway Safety And Motor Vehicles Warn Residents Of Email Fraud

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is warning residents to beware of e-mail fraud that appears to come from the agency. The fraudsters are using the department’s name and e-mail address to send a type of spam known as phishing.

If you’ve received an e-mail from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, using an address like DoNotReply@flhsmv.gov, and you haven’t made an online transaction, it’s most likely a scam. Department spokeswoman Courtney Heidelberg says if recipients have opened the message, they should make sure not to click on any of the links in the e-mail because they could contain a virus.

“If you’ve have clicked on the links, then you should change all your passwords, particularly on your financial institution or banking sites. Because it looks like this particular phishing spam is trying to capture banking information,” said Heidelberg.

Heidelberg says so far, the department has received thousands of calls from people all over the state, around the country, and even some parts of the world about the fraudulent e-mail that looks like a receipt.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on twitter @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.