Scammers impersonating the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles are trying to trick and threaten residents into paying fraudulent fees, agency officials said.

“The scammers are at it again — and we’re onto them,” Colorado DMV officials stated in a news release.

“The DMV is aware of these latest attempts and is working closely with the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) to put the brakes on this scam for good.”

The scammers are falsely claiming text recipients have unpaid tickets and are threatening severe consequences, including prosecution, vehicle registration suspension and the revocation of driving privileges, state officials said in the release.

These messages are not from the DMV, officials said. The DMV does not initiate contact via unsolicited text messages to demand payment for tickets or to threaten consequences in this manner, the release stated.

DMV officials are monitoring the scams and are collaborating with state agencies and local law enforcement, DMV Senior Director Electra Bustle said.

“In the meantime, public awareness is our strongest defense,” Bustle stated.