The Hawai‘i County Police Department is warning the public of a text scam after receiving reports of unknown individuals posing as representatives from the Hawai‘i Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) claiming that the recipients have an outstanding traffic fine that must be paid immediately to avoid penalties. 

While this scam is not new it is making a resurgence, with several residents reporting it to police this week in both Hilo and Kona and multiple police officers receiving the text message.

The scam text message typically states that the DMV is “urgently reminding” the recipient of an unpaid fine and warns that failure to pay will result in a 30-day suspension of the recipient’s driver’s license, a 35 percent surcharge, and possible legal proceedings. These messages often include a link directing individuals to a website requesting payment or personal information.

These messages are fraudulent. There is no “Hawai‘i Department of Motor Vehicles”. The Department of Motor Vehicles does not send text messages notifying individuals of outstanding fines, unpaid traffic violations, or license suspension warnings. Any such text message should be treated as a scam.