The Maine Department of the Secretary of State is warning about a scam text being sent to many state residents Monday morning saying they have an outstanding traffic violation. A statement from the department says even Secretary of State Shenna Bellows received the text.

The message says if the person receiving the text does not pay a fine, their vehicle registration and driver’s license will be suspended. The text also says the person will face a toll service referral with a 35 percent processing charge, possible legal prosecution, and credit rating damage.

The department says it will never notify people of a license suspension through a text.

Another obvious sign that the text is a scam is its verbiage. The text reads the “Maine Department of Motor Vehicles.” Maine’s agency is titled the “Bureau of Motor Vehicles”, not “Department of Motor Vehicles.”

The statement from the Department of the Secretary of State says, “You can tell the criminals aren’t from around here given that they called us the DMV, not the BMV”

The contents of the scam text are below:

Maine Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Final Notice: Enforcement Penalties Begin on June 10.

According to our records, your traffic violation remains unpaid. Under Maine Code 15C-16.003, if your fine is not settled by June 9, 2025, the following penalties will be enforced:

1. DMV violation database reporting

2. Suspension of vehicle registration effective June 10

3. 30-day suspension of driving license

4. Toll service referral with additional 35% processing charge

5. Possible legal prosecution and credit rating damage

Pay immediately here:

https://maine.shkv.cc/pay?cjj=BwqG61

Please resolve urgently to avoid further legal action and suspension.

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