Maine Attorney General Janet T. Mills is warning Mainers to be aware of a phone scam that claims to be from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The caller demands a fee be paid immediately over the phone or else a warrant for arrest will be issued or his or her driver’s license will be suspended. 

“No court or government agency will call you to demand an immediate cash payment to avoid arrest or the loss of your license,” said Attorney General Janet T. Mills. “If you receive one of these calls, hang up. If you have questions call the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Never give personal or financial information out over the phone on calls you did not initiate. If someone calls you and asks you to make payment by money order or pre-paid debit card, that is very big red flag that you are about to be scammed.”

Over the past couple weeks, some Mainers have been receiving calls purporting to be from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles advising they owe money on fines and if they do not pay immediately an arrest warrant will be issued or their license suspended. The scam artists employ technology that spoofs their real phone number by stating the call is from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

This is very similar to a phone scam that the Maine Judicial System warned citizens about in January.

If you have questions about these or other consumer matters, please contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-436-2131 or consumer.mediation@maine.gov. 

To contact the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles with any questions, please call 207-624-9000.