REGIONAL- State officials are warning Minnesotans to steer clear of scam text messages pretending to be from the Department of Public Safety or the state’s motor vehicle division. The texts claim the recipient owes money for a traffic violation—and if they don’t pay up, consequences will follow.
But it’s all a fraud.
“These messages are not only fraudulent — they’re frightening,” said Driver and Vehicle Services Director Pong Xiong. “We understand how upsetting it can be to receive multiple threatening messages demanding payment. If you’re unsure, please reach out to us directly. We’re here to help protect your information and your peace of mind.”
The scam messages often reference the “Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles” or “DPSMN,” and sometimes cite phony legal codes like Minnesota State Administrative Code 15C-16.003. Some Minnesotans have reported receiving multiple texts in quick succession, each more threatening than the last.
The Department of Public Safety and its Driver and Vehicle Services division emphasized they never send texts about outstanding tickets or request payment via text message.
If you receive one of these texts, here’s what to do:
Don’t respond or click links.
Don’t send money or share personal info.
If you’re unsure, go directly to drive.mn.gov.
Mark the message as spam or junk and delete it.
If you’ve already fallen for the scam, you’re urged to report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
The numbers are sobering—consumers lost an estimated $470 million to text-based scams in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission. That’s five times the amount reported just four years ago.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office has also been receiving a flood of reports about the same scam circulating locally.
“These messages are showing up all across the region,” said a statement from the Sheriff’s Office. “They’re claiming to be from the Minnesota DMV and telling people they’re in violation of the law. We want to be clear—this is a scam. Don’t respond, and definitely don’t pay.”
Local law enforcement is aware of the situation and urges residents to stay vigilant. When in doubt, always contact the real agency directly—never through a link in a suspicious message.