The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles has launched a new website to help alert and educate consumers about scammers posing as the DMV and demanding payment or requesting personal information.

And while officially tied to Wisconsin — Michigan doesn’t have a DMV — much of what is posted on the new site still is good advice for handling scams. Michigan does have an overall site for all types of scams as well, at https://www.michigan.gov/consumerprotection/scams.

In a news release, the DMV calls the new website, wisconsindmv.gov/scams, a frontline resource to help consumers spot scams, learn how to protect themselves and provide guidance on what to do if they are caught up in a phishing scam attempt.

“Waves of fake emails and texts that look like they’re from the Wisconsin DMV are circulating across the state,” Wisconsin DMV Administrator Tommy Winkler said. “These ongoing scams are easy to recognize if you know what to look for. Our new webpage educates folks on red flags, provides resources to protect themselves and gives advice on what to do if they think they’ve fallen victim.”

According to the DMV, common telltale features from recent phishing attacks include:

— Demands for money;

— Requires urgent action;

— Embeds malicious links;

— Requests personal information;

— Identifies as Department of Motor Vehicles, instead of Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s official Division of Motor Vehicles, or DMV.

The new DMV webpage also posts images of recent scams that have hit Wisconsin. Transportation departments from across the country are reporting similar scams, it advised.

Consumers in Wisconsin can take these steps to protect themselves:

— Sign up for DMV’s eNotify service at wisconsindmv.gov/enotify to receive transaction alerts that can help identify any suspicious or fraudulent charges or changes to the account.

— Begin using online DMV service at wisconsindmv.gov. Nearly all DMV services can be initiated by the customer online, including renewals, obtaining title and license plates and scheduling a visit.

— Examine the URL and sender of the message. If the URL does not end in .gov, it is not a message from Wisconsin DMV.

— Wisconsin DMV will never demand payment via text.

Consumers can also follow WisDOT social media to learn about scams that may be spreading in the state, via Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.