They came in a swarm of text messages from out-of-state numbers. They referenced a “Department” of Motor Vehicles and a fake law. And they warned that recipients had just days before their licenses would be suspended.

At least 13 Mainers have called the Maine Office of the Attorney General to complain about a text message scam that has been circling for weeks, according to spokesperson Danna Hayes. She said the message’s reference to “Maine Law 15C-16.003” — which does not exist — and its demand to be paid “immediately” are designed to stir fear and anxiety among recipients.

“The intention is to create an emotional reaction and not a logical, reasoned one,” Hayes said. “They hope that you will panic.”

Scammers have long impersonated governments, companies and loved ones to try and take advantage of vulnerable people, said Candice Simeoni, an officer with the Kennebunk Police Department who was recently appointed Maine’s first elder justice investigator. She said scammers often change their specific methods and strategies, which can make fraudulent messages difficult to spot.

“We have seen a lot more cell phone text message scams lately … in the last couple months,” Simeoni said. “We get calls about this weekly, sometimes daily.”

Last year, Maine saw 1,058 complaints of scammers impersonating government officials or agencies, up from 847 in 2023 and 735 in 2022, according to data collected by the Federal Trade Commission. That figure peaked at 1,647 in 2021 during the pandemic. In the first quarter of this year, Mainers lodged 243 such complaints.

There were even more complaints of scammers impersonating businesses, which can include electric companies and other utilities. Maine saw 1,346 such complaints in 2024, which was higher than any year from 2020 to 2022 but just shy of the 1,358 reported in 2023.

Beyond complaints, the number of victims in Maine has been trending up in recent years, according to a Press Herald analysis of cybercrime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 2024, 357 Mainers were the victim of phishing or spoofing scams, more than 10 times the number reported in 2023, according to the FBI. Fewer than 100 people reported falling victim to phishing and similar scams each year from 2020-22.

That same year, 98 Mainers fell for government impersonation scams, like the fake “Department of Motor Vehicles” warnings, which are counted as their own category. From 2020 to 2022, the state saw about 40 reported victims each year.

Fraudulent tech support scammers victimized 191 Mainers in both 2024 and 2023, following a steady rise since 2020, when 59 cases were reported, according to the FBI. That came even as the number of tech support scam complaints fell from 368 in 2023 to 281 in 2024, according to FTC data — meaning a higher quantity of recipients may have fallen for the trick.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE BEEN SCAMMED

Jane Margesson, senior communications director for AARP Maine, said acting quickly is key if you think you may have been scammed. Once money has changed hands, it can be extremely difficult to recover lost funds.

“But you might be able to stop the bleeding,” Margesson said.

She recommended potential victims — and anyone looking for an extra layer of security — freeze their credit with all three major reporting agencies. If done soon enough after giving up personal details, that could prevent scammers from taking out new lines of credit or accessing other sensitive records.

“If you just got scammed five minutes ago, that’s the first thing I would tell you to do,” Margesson said, noting that you can always unfreeze your credit when needed.

Simeoni, the Kennebunk police officer, also suggested freezing credit and bank accounts when possible. She also recommended keeping a close eye on credit reports and bank statements to make sure everything looks accurate.

Next, report the potential crime to your local police department and then alert and other agencies or companies that may be involved. For example, if you gave out banking details, contact your local branch; for something like an account number, call the issuing company. AARP also has a fraud help line that can connect potential victims with advice and local resources, Margesson said.

WHAT IF I ONLY CLICKED A LINK?

“If you’ve clicked the link but you haven’t actually entered information or downloaded something to your computer or something like that, I would certainly get out of that site and shut down your device,” Margesson said. “Get some help. Make sure that you’ve really tied up all the loose ends.”

Simeoni emphasized that people should report any potential scams, even if it’s not clear that anything was stolen or any information breached.

“Don’t just sit on it because you’re embarrassed,” Simeoni said. “(Sometimes) nothing happens, so you feel like you’re safe, and then they blindside you later on.”

Simeoni said she has heard from several victims who thought they were in the clear, only to get targeted again by the same scammer days or weeks later.

Both Simeoni and Margesson said that while scammers may target older residents, anyone can fall victim (including financial advice columnists). They urged victims not to blame themselves.

“People don’t want to ever feel like they made a bad decision,” Simeoni said. “I want people to know that it happens to everyone, regardless of age.”

The best solution to scams is staying vigilant and trying to stay ahead of them, they said.

“Scammers are creative, and they’re relentless,” Margesson said. “Each of us as a consumer has to be aware that scams are going to be out there. … We also need to be creative and relentless.”