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Is that traffic ticket text a scam or real?

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Is that traffic ticket text a scam or real?

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You’re going about your day when your phone buzzes. A text hits your phone. It looks official. It sounds urgent. And suddenly, you are being told you owe money for a traffic violation. That is exactly what Todd from Texas experienced. He emailed us and said:

“I received this text message today. It was so baffling because I haven’t lived in California for nearly a decade. I didn’t click on anything or respond. How can I tell if this is for real or if this is a scam?”

If you’ve gotten a message like this, you are not alone. This type of scam is spreading fast, and it is designed to pressure you into acting before you think. Let’s break down what is really going on.

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FAKE AGENT PHONE SCAMS ARE SPREADING FAST ACROSS THE US

This message may look official, but several red flags show it is likely a scam designed to pressure you into paying quickly. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What the traffic ticket scam text looks like

At first, the message seems convincing. It claims to be a “final reminder” from the California DMV, and it warns of penalties like license suspension and added fees. It even includes a link that appears somewhat official. However, once you slow down and take a closer look, the red flags quickly start to pile up.

The biggest red flags in this message

Here are the key warning signs to watch for in messages like this.

9 WAYS SCAMMERS CAN USE YOUR PHONE NUMBER TO TRY TO TRICK YOU

1) The phone number makes no sense

The message comes from a number with a +63 country code. That is the Philippines, not California. Government agencies in the U.S. do not send official legal notices from international numbers. That alone is a major warning sign.

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2) No name, just “Dear Driver”

Legitimate notices from a DMV or court almost always include your full name or at least some identifying information. “Dear Driver” is vague on purpose. It allows scammers to send the same message to thousands of people.

3) The link isn’t a real DMV website

The message includes this link:

ca.mnvtl.life/dmv

That isn’t a government domain. Official DMV websites in California use “.ca.gov” or similar trusted domains. Scammers often create lookalike links to trick you into clicking.

4) Urgency and threats

The message pushes you to act quickly with a deadline. It lists consequences like license suspension and extra charges. Scammers rely on fear. When you feel rushed, you are more likely to click without thinking.

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FBI WARNS OF DANGEROUS NEW ‘SMISHING’ SCAM TARGETING YOUR PHONE

5) Asking you to reply to proceed

The text says to reply with “Y” to get instructions. That is another trap. Responding confirms your number is active, which can lead to more scam messages.

6) Generic language and odd phrasing

Parts of the message feel slightly off. The tone is formal but not quite right. That subtle awkwardness is common in scam messages sent to large groups of people.

7) Overloaded threats designed to scare you

The message piles on consequences like license suspension, added fees, court action and even credit damage. In this case, it even mentions a license suspension and a $160 late payment charge. That combination is meant to overwhelm you and push you to act fast. Real agencies usually provide clear, specific notices, not a long list of escalating threats in a single text.

INSIDE A SCAMMER’S DAY AND HOW THEY TARGET YOU

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Scam texts like this often arrive out of nowhere and try to create urgency before you have time to question them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What this means for you

Even if you have never driven in California, you could still receive this message. Scammers cast a wide net and hope someone takes the bait. If you click the link, you could be taken to a fake payment page. That page may ask for your credit card details, personal information or login credentials. In some cases, it can also install malware on your device or redirect you to credential-stealing pages. This isn’t about a ticket. It is about getting your data.  State DMVs typically do not send final legal notices or payment demands by text message.

Why these scams keep working

These messages work because they tap into something most people fear. Legal trouble, fines and losing driving privileges. They also look just real enough to pass a quick glance. That is all scammers need. As more services move online, these scams will continue to evolve.

Unlike typical DMV scams, this message impersonates a court and escalates the threats to make the situation feel more serious (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Ways to stay safe from traffic ticket text scams

Start with a simple rule. Never trust a payment request that shows up out of nowhere. Here are practical steps you can take:

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1) Do not click the link

If you are unsure, do not tap anything in the message. That includes links and reply options.

2) Use strong antivirus software

If you accidentally click a link, strong antivirus software can help detect malware and protect your data. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

3) Verify directly with the DMV

Go to your state’s official DMV website by typing it yourself into your browser. Do not use the link in the text.

4) Check the sender carefully

Look at the phone number. International numbers or random strings are a clear warning sign.

5) Ignore generic greetings

Real notices will usually include your name or case details. Vague language is a red flag.

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6) Consider a data removal service

Scammers often get your number from data broker sites. Removing your personal info from those databases with a data removal service can reduce these messages. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

7) Block and report the number

On your phone, block the sender and report it as spam. This helps reduce future attempts.

8) Turn on spam filtering

Enable spam filtering on your phone or through your carrier to catch more of these messages before they reach you.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Todd did the right thing. He paused, questioned the message and did not click. That one decision likely saved him from handing over personal information. When it comes to messages like this, skepticism is your best defense. If something feels off, trust that instinct.

Should phone carriers and tech companies be doing more to block scams like this before you ever see them? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Amazon security research reportedly led to the White House’s Anthropic Fable ban

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Amazon security research reportedly led to the White House’s Anthropic Fable ban

According to the Wall Street Journal, the export control directive that led to Anthropic cutting off access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 was triggered in part by cybersecurity research from Amazon and conversations between CEO Andy Jassy and the White House. According to the report, the paper from Amazon claims that, through a series of prompts, it was able to get Fable 5 to serve up information that could be used in cyberattacks. Amazon has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Shortly after Jassy shared the company’s findings with the government, it made the call to block its use by foreign nationals. Complicating this issue is that many of Anthropic’s researchers are foreign-born, meaning they were barred from accessing their own product.

In a statement, Anthropic disputed the government’s characterization of the issue as a “jailbreak.” It argued that many of the same vulnerabilities could be discovered using other publicly available models, including GPT 5.5. Some security researchers appear to back the company’s interpretation. Katie Moussouris, the founder and CEO of LutaSecurity posted on BlueSky that “I’ve seen the paper. It’s not a jailbreak.” Former Commerce Department official Kate Koren speculated to the WSJ that the White House’s dislike of Anthropic may have influenced the decision.

Anthropic and the Trump administration have been at odds for some time over the company’s refusal to allow its AI to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or to power lethal autonomous weapons. In February, Trump instructed federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s AI. And just hours later, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth designated the company a supply chain risk.

The government and the company seemed to have made amends, and the two had worked together to expand access to Mythos. However, now the two seem destined to clash again.

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Robot soccer player dents wall with terrifying kicks

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Robot soccer player dents wall with terrifying kicks

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A robot soccer player just gave goalkeepers another reason to feel nervous. Booster Robotics titled its YouTube video “Try Stopping This Robot,” and after watching its T1 humanoid hammer soccer balls toward a goal, you can see why.

Most of the kicks hit the curtain behind the net. But several shots appear to hit with enough force to leave visible impact marks and dents in the wall. That part is what everyone is talking about.

At first, it just looks like a viral robot soccer video. Then the wall damage makes the whole thing feel a lot more serious. This video also raises an important question: What happens if someone were to end up in the path of a soccer ball kicked by one of these robots?

AUTONOMOUS HUMANOID ROBOT SOCCER DEBUTS IN CHINA

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Booster Robotics’ T1 humanoid robot lines up a soccer kick inside the company’s lab, where its shots hit with enough force to dent the wall. (Booster Robotics)

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What is the Booster T1 humanoid robot?

The Booster T1 is a humanoid robot from Beijing-based Booster Robotics. According to Booster, the T1 stands about 3 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 66 pounds. Booster says the T1 has 23 to 41 degrees of freedom, depending on the configuration. In everyday terms, that means it has enough moving joints to walk, turn, balance and perform athletic movements.

The company also says the T1 can walk for about two hours and stand for about four hours on a charge. It supports open-source tools, software frameworks and API interfaces. That makes it easier for teams to train the robot for new tasks. The company also says more than 50 robotics teams and research institutes already use the platform.

How robot soccer helps train humanoid robots

There is also a serious reason companies test robots this way. Soccer forces a humanoid robot to deal with movement, balance and split-second changes. The ball does not stay still. The robot has to adjust its body, shift its weight and decide what to do next. That makes soccer a useful test for machines that may one day work around people.

Those lessons can carry beyond the soccer field. A robot that learns how to recover from a fall or adjust to a moving object could be more useful in a warehouse, lab or disaster zone. That is why robot soccer has become a way for engineers to test how these machines handle pressure when the action does not go perfectly.

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ROBOT PLAYS TENNIS WITH HUMANS IN REAL TIME

The soccer ball bounces back from the damaged lab wall after Booster Robotics’ T1 delivers a powerful kick. (Booster Robotics)

Booster T1 robot is built for developers

The T1 is meant for research and development. Booster positions the robot as a platform for schools, labs and robotics teams. Developers can use it to test software, train motion models and build new robot behaviors.

The company also offers RoboCup-related tools, including an open-source reinforcement learning framework and a demo system. That demo system covers perception, localization and decision-making for robot matches.

In other words, the T1 works like a serious robot body that developers can teach. That also explains why the wall-denting video is such a strong showcase. It shows the power, balance and control of these robots.

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NEW CHINESE HUMANOID ROBOT SHOWS OFF ITS STRENGTH BY LIFTING 35 POUNDS PER HAND

Booster’s humanoid robot steps into a powerful kick, raising new questions about how much force these machines can safely use around people. (Booster Robotics)

Robot soccer power raises safety concerns

A robot strong enough to dent a wall can damage more than drywall. If a system fails, a powerful leg or arm could hurt someone nearby. That does not mean every humanoid robot poses a danger. It means companies need strong guardrails before these machines move into homes, hospitals, stores or public spaces.

Force limits matter. Emergency stops matter. Testing environments matter. Clear rules about where robots can operate matter. A robot in a lab can be impressive. A robot near the public needs a much higher safety bar.

RoboCup robot soccer has a bigger goal

Booster’s T1 is also part of the RoboCup world, which is basically an international robot soccer competition. But RoboCup isn’t only about robots kicking a ball around a field. The long-term goal is much bigger. RoboCup wants fully autonomous humanoid robots to eventually beat the human World Cup champions under official soccer rules.

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That may sound like a wild idea. However, there is serious research behind it. Robot soccer forces teams to improve how these machines balance, see the field, react to movement and make decisions on their own. Booster says the T1 was built around robot soccer and RoboCup standards. The company also offers tools that help teams create robot soccer demos more quickly.

So, while robot soccer may look like a game, it is also helping engineers figure out how humanoid robots could become more capable in places far beyond the soccer field.

What this means for you

You may not care about robot soccer. Still, this kind of demo says a lot about the future of everyday robotics. Humanoid robots are learning to move with more confidence. They can balance better, recover faster and use their bodies with more force. That progress could eventually help with useful jobs, including warehouse work, elder care support or disaster response.

At the same time, stronger robots create new questions. Who checks their safety? Who sets the rules? Who is responsible when a robot breaks something or injures someone? The T1 video shows why the next phase of robotics really needs testing, transparency and accountability.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

This robot soccer video makes you stop and think. Booster Robotics’ T1 can kick a soccer ball with enough force to leave visible dents and impact marks in a wall. That to me is scary. It also raises a real safety question. As humanoid robots get stronger, companies will need to prove they can control that power around people. A robot kicking soccer balls in a lab is one thing. A robot near players, workers or bystanders is a very different story. Robot soccer may look like a game today. But it may also be showing us what tomorrow’s machines will be able to do. That is why it is important to keep an eye on this technology as it develops.

When you see a robot kick with this much force, does it make you excited about what is coming next, or worried about how safe these machines will be around people? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Sealed Super Mario Bros. sells for a record $3 million

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Sealed Super Mario Bros. sells for a record  million

A copy of Super Mario Bros., still in the box and sealed with its original sticker, just sold at Heritage Auctions for $3 million. That absolutely crushes the previous record of $2 million, also for a copy of Super Mario Bros., in 2021. That sale also came hot on the heels of a controversial auction of Super Mario 64 for $1.56 million.

Part of what drove the price of this particular copy so high is that, according to Heritage Auctions, instead of shrink wrap, this 19895 second run was sealed with a glossy sticker, which was discontinued shortly after. The site claims it’s the earliest known sealed copy of the game in existence. It’s also graded at 9.6 A++ by Professional Sports Authenticator.

The price of vintage gaming collectibles has been skyrocketing over the last few years. It was only in July of 2020 that Heritage Auctions set the record for the highest price paid for a game at auction, again, with a copy of Super Mario Bros., for $114,000. Six years later, that seems like an absolute bargain.

If the winner of the auction decides to do the unthinkable and break the seal on the game, Heritage Auctions is throwing in an NES console.

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