The safe way to renew your driver's license

ATLANTA - Every 'to do' list at some point has on it, "Renew driver's license." It eventually comes around, and it's easier than it used to be. You can do it online. But, be careful you're not falling for a fake.

Here's the biggest trap for us in Georgia, many of us, myself included still call it the DMV. But we don't have a Department of Motor Vehicles. We have DDS and DOR.

What scammers count on is you typing in "Georgia" and "DMV" and landing on a spoof site. According to the Atlanta-area Better Business Bureau, look-alike sites will offer to help you renew your driver's license for a fee.  

This is what you should be looking for: DDS. That's the Department of Driver Services. That's where you renew or replace a license, or get an ID card. Then there is the DOR or the Department of Revenue. It's here that you register your vehicle, get a license plate and pay your car tax.

Here some fraud prevention tips. Shred your old ID cards when you get new ones. Annually, get a copy of your driving record to make sure no one is posing as you out there. Get your new license mailed to a safe mailbox. Maybe one that is locked.
 
Remember, spoofed or look-alike accounts really look like the real thing. If it's a government site, check that the suffix is .gov not .com