Consumer Alert: Don’t fall for phony license renewal websites

MEMPHIS, Tenn. –An old scam is popping up again across the Mid- South. Tennessee residents may have heard the news recently that license renewals are now good for eight years. However, drivers should be careful how and where they renew, or it could cost them extra money and possibly make them a target for identity theft. When it was time for Lorinda Haynes to renew her license, she decided to get an early start. For the first time, she went online instead of making the dreaded trip to a driver service center. “Sometimes there’s a lot of people in there and there’s a number to take and I didn’t want to have to go through all that,” explained Haynes. She said she used her smart phone and did a basic internet search. “So, I went online and I’m not sure what I put into the Google!” One of the first sites that popped up is one that now reads “mydriverlicense.org”. Haynes said it looked like the correct place to renew so she paid $22.95, except after a while, she never got anything in the mail. “Time, time, time goes by no, license.” Yet, the payment had already cleared her bank account. Haynes told WREG, “I called the bank and said, ‘I think I’ve been scammed!'” She’s not alone. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security confirmed this frequently happens to drivers who don’t use the legitimate, government website to renew their license. “These sites are selling information on how to obtain a drivers license, not actually providing renewal services. The only site citizen should go to for driver license renewal is the official TN.gov site,” said a Department of Safety spokesperson by email. The agency even issued a press release a couple of years ago reminding drivers, that TN.gov is the official site to renew online. The website Haynes used now has a pop up that explains customers can’t actually “renew” a license, but rather get information. Haynes said she never even got that. Her bank refunded the charge and she eventually renewed her license through TN.gov. However, with her identity exposed, she had to get new bank cards and passwords. So, after avoiding the hassle of renewing in person, she ended up with an entirely different headache and wants to warn others. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody.” If you plan to renew online, make sure that the website looks like the photos posted below. Also in the photo gallery you will find a step by step guide on exactly where to click to renew your license.