February 15, 2008 — For Immediate Release

Consumer alert — DOL aware of telephone car tab renewal scam

OLYMPIA — The Department of Licensing is receiving reports from field offices that Eastern Washington vehicle owners are being targeted in an apparent scam.

Telephone solicitors posing as DOL representatives are contacting citizens and telling them their vehicle tabs are expired. They then ask for credit card information to renew their tabs over the phone. DOL does not contact vehicle owners by phone and vehicle renewals are never processed in this way.

These calls have been reported in Adams, Grant and Stevens Counties.

Vehicle owners have reported receiving either a recorded message or that they begin to receive a recorded message but a person claiming to be a DOL representative comes on the line during the message. Some individuals have reported receiving several of these calls.

DOL will continue to investigate these reports and work with all appropriate law enforcement agencies to end this consumer threat.