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Phone calls and emails posing as the Department of Motor Vehicles are on the rise, with fraudsters demanding money for back taxes, unpaid tickets, government fees and vehicle registrations. Last week, Oregon residents reported phone calls and emails pretending to be from the DMV - many demanding unpaid fines to be sent via wire transfer or prepaid credit cards. Law officials said that in one previous version of the scam, emails sent from "info@localmailserver.info" warned recipients of "Unsatisfied Photo Enforcement Tickets" and asked them to click on a "Lost Traffic Ticket" link. Victims were then taken to a fake landing page, which asked for sensitive personal or financial data. "Consumers themselves are the best protection from falling for these scams, which are becoming more sophisticated and authentic in appearance," the Oregon DMV said. "Scammers constantly change tactics." The Department of Motor Vehicles warns people to be cautious when they receive suspicious emails or phone calls. Here are some guidelines that may help identify scams: - The DMV won't call customers to request unpaid vehicle or driver-related fines, it will only send letters through the mail. - Wire transfers and prepaid credit/debit cards aren't accepted by the DMV. - The DMV will never ask for one's social security number or credit card number over the phone. - The DMV won't threaten lawsuits, nor does it collect state or federal income taxes.