Hillsborough tax collector’s office warns about third parties selling driver’s license appointments

The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office is warning residents about third parties selling driver’s license appointments.

An internal investigation “revealed scammers looking to take advantage of residents are bulk booking driver license appointments and reselling them to residents in need of services for a fee,” the office announced in a news release.

The investigation revealed a pattern of daily appointments being reserved under identical names and email addresses.

While officials say an appointment is not required to visit the Tax Collector’s Office for most services, residents can reserve appointments on the Tax Collector’s website up to 30 days in advance at no charge.

“It is believed that third parties are monitoring the scheduling software and immediately snapping up available appointments, possibly through the use of AI and bots, preventing residents from accessing available appointment slots,” the office’s release said.

On Monday, officials with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office announced a series of changes that include:

1. One booking per person/email address: The new system only allows one appointment booking per person. The limitation aims to prevent the mass booking of appointments by unauthorized entities.

2. Enhanced verification process: During the booking process, customers are required to enter their driver license number, a parent’s driver license number for minors, or an alien registration number.

3. Residency requirements: Appointments are exclusively reserved for Hillsborough County residents, and customers are required to confirm this acknowledgment before booking.

4. In-person confirmation: In accordance with these changes, staff at the Tax Collector’s branch offices check residency and ensure the names and ID numbers provided at the time of appointment booking match upon arrival to the office. If they do not match, the appointment will not be honored.