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Beware Phony MVD website

By Richard Plattner | September 10, 2015

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is warning consumers to be cautious of misleading websites that falsely appear to be affiliated with the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) or the State of Arizona. Consumers who need to access online MVD services should do so at the government’s authorized website – www.servicearizona.com.

The Attorney General’s Office has received reports from consumers who meant to type “servicearizona.com” in their browser to access MVD’s online registration services but instead typed “serviceaz.com.”  The “serviceaz.com” domain is not an authorized website of the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division – the website appears to be operated by private parties. Consumers may believe they are renewing their vehicle registration at the MVD, only to find out that they have accidentally purchased an unwanted item, such as a driver’s license manual.

“We are always concerned when we see potential government impostor scams,” said Attorney General Brnovich.  “Consumers need to be cautious online, and be sure they are dealing with a governmental agency and not with a private business set up to look like a government agency online.”

Attorney General Brnovich offers the following consumer tips:

  • Check to see that the website has a “lock” icon in the browser before you enter any personal information on a website –whether it is a governmental agency or a private business.  Clicking on the lock icon will confirm that you are on the website you think you are and will indicate that personal information you provide on the website is protected.
  • Type website addresses into your internet browser rather than clicking on a link in an email.  Be cautious of emails from governmental agencies.
  • If you are not sure whether you are on the correct website of a government agency, call the agency on the phone to verify.

If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6504, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1 (800) 352-8431.  Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney General’s Web site at https://www.azag.gov/complaints/consumer.

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