The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to remain alert after reports of a fraudulent text message scam impersonating the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) began circulating.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, scammers are sending text messages claiming recipients have unresolved traffic citations and threatening severe consequences if immediate payment is not made.

The scam message falsely warns individuals that failure to pay by a stated deadline could result in canceled vehicle registration, indefinite driver’s license suspension, civil judgment proceedings, and even possible arrest warrants.

Recipients are then directed to click a suspicious payment link and are urged to act quickly to avoid losing driving privileges.

Law enforcement officials stressed that residents should not click any links included in the message, as doing so could expose personal or financial information to scammers.

The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office advised anyone receiving the message to:

Do not click any links

Do not provide payment or personal information

Report the message as spam

Delete the text immediately

Officials emphasized that scam messages often create urgency and fear in an attempt to pressure recipients into acting before verifying legitimacy.

Residents with concerns about traffic citations, vehicle registration, or license issues are encouraged to contact the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles directly through official channels rather than responding to unsolicited texts or emails.

The Sheriff’s Office continues encouraging the public to stay vigilant against phishing scams and report suspicious activity to local law enforcement when necessary.

Authorities remind residents that protecting personal information is critical as text-based scams continue targeting individuals across Louisiana and nationwide.