TL;DR: In September and December 2025, ICBC warned about texts asking BC drivers to pay driving fines or outstanding debt through a link. ICBC says it does not text customers about infractions or debt, and does not ask you to confirm identity or pay through text links. Delete the text. If you paid, call your bank and the police. Earlier versions offered fake ICBC "rebates."
What the texts say
ICBC issued warnings on September 3, 2025 and again on December 2, 2025. The texts:
- demand payment for driving fines or outstanding debt;
- include a link to a fake payment page.
ICBC said it was "actively working with an external cybersecurity company to report and remove fraudulent websites" linked to the texts, Global News reported. Whack-a-mole, but with lawyers.
Police amplified the warning too. Global News noted that Sidney/North Saanich RCMP and Campbell River RCMP issued their own alerts, and the Campbell River RCMP warning went out the same month. The texts aren’t confined to one city: they’re sent to any BC number on a scammer’s list.
What ICBC doesn’t do
- Doesn’t contact customers by text about driving infractions or outstanding debt.
- Doesn’t ask you to confirm your identity or make payments through links in a text.
That’s a clean rule. If ICBC is in your texts asking for money, it isn’t ICBC.
Why "ICBC" works as bait
ICBC is BC’s public auto insurer and also handles driver licensing, so almost every BC driver has a real relationship with it, and many have paid a real ticket or premium. A text that mentions a fine or "outstanding debt" doesn’t sound absurd. The fake payment page then asks for your card number, expiry and security code.
The same script runs across North America: in the US it’s an unpaid-ticket "DMV" text, in Ontario a fake 407 ETR toll. If a text about a government fee includes a link, treat it as fake.
The older rebate version
When ICBC paid $110 rebates, scam texts offered the rebate through a link. ICBC said it would not issue rebates by text or email; real ones came by direct deposit, card credit or mailed cheque (Tri-City News).
ICBC’s advice
- Delete any text asking for payment.
- Don’t click links in unsolicited texts.
- Check you’re on the real ICBC site before logging in. Type it yourself.
- Don’t share personal or financial information by text or email.
- Don’t reply to unknown senders or call numbers in suspicious texts.
If you paid or entered details
- Call your bank or card issuer and cancel the card.
- Contact police, as ICBC advises.
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Forward future texts to 7726 (how).
Same scam, other provinces
The same trick shows up as ServiceOntario, 407 ETR and SAAQ texts. In the US it’s DMV texts. A free exposure check shows if your number or email is in leaked data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who else has warned about the ICBC texts?
Global News reported that Sidney/North Saanich RCMP and Campbell River RCMP issued their own warnings in September 2025. Contact local police if you’re affected.
Does ICBC send texts about driving fines?
No. ICBC says it does not contact customers by text about driving infractions or outstanding debt.
Will ICBC ask me to pay through a link in a text?
No. ICBC does not ask customers to confirm identity or make payments through text links.
What should I do if I paid an ICBC scam text?
Call your bank, contact police and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Did ICBC send rebates by text?
No. ICBC said it would not issue rebates by text or email.
Sources
- ICBC: Warning customers about text message scam (Dec 2025)
- ICBC: Text message scam warning (Sept 2025)
- Tri-City News: ICBC rebate text scam
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- Global News: ICBC warns of text message scam (Sept 2025)
- Campbell River RCMP: ICBC text scam warning (Sept 2025)