Mainers Targeted in Texting Scam That’s Easy To Spot If You Think About It

There's a text scam that has been reported in Maine that is targeting unsuspecting people to click on a link. Those with a keen eye though will instantly see where the scammers failed with their message.

Maine Secretary of State Shanna Bellows issued a warning on the Maine Department of the Secretay of State section of maine.gov stating that a Mainer reported getting a text from a 312 area code that claimed it was the "Maine DMV." A link was provided that the text said would allow the recipient to get a refund check.

There's a couple of things to unpack here. Most people will know better than to click that link, but we all probably know someone who doesn't know better. That parent or grandparent who isn't all the tech-savvy comes to mind.

That said, there are two things that stand out immediately that the scammers for wrong. The obvious one is the 312 area code. Any call from a Maine Government Agency likely wouldn't have a 312 area code, though it's not unheard of to get calls that are Maine based in another area code.

But there's another telltale sign that this is a scam that some might not catch. There is no such thing as the "Maine DMV." Maine does not call their motor vehicle the "DMV" for Department of Motor Vehicles." In Maine, it's called the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, because we're Maine. We do things differently here. Just like if you drive drunk in Maine you're charged with an OUI, not a DUI. In Maine you're Operating Under the Influence, not Driving Under the Influence. Scammers are dummies.

So if you or someone you know should get a text like this, do NOT click the link.