Valley City Residents Warned of DMV Impersonation Scam

Scammers sending fake 'Enforcement Notices' via text to trick residents into paying fake citations

Mar. 16, 2026 at 11:42pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Valley City Police Department has issued a warning to residents about a text message scam circulating in the area. Scammers are impersonating the North Dakota DMV and sending 'Enforcement Notices' claiming the recipient has an outstanding citation that must be paid to avoid suspension of their vehicle registration and driver's license. These messages are fraudulent and residents are advised to delete the messages and not click any links or provide personal information.

Why it matters

Impersonation scams like this can trick unsuspecting residents into providing sensitive personal and financial information or making payments to fraudsters, leading to identity theft and financial losses. Raising awareness of these tactics is important to protect the community.

The details

The scam texts claim to be from the North Dakota DMV and include a link for recipients to click to pay the supposed citation. However, the North Dakota DMV does not send enforcement notices or citation payment requests via unsolicited text messages. Residents are advised to delete the messages, block the senders, and not click any links or provide any information.

  • The Valley City Police Department became aware of the scam text messages circulating in the area on March 16, 2026.

The players

Valley City Police Department

The local law enforcement agency that issued the warning about the scam text messages.

North Dakota DMV

The state agency that the scammers are impersonating in the text messages, but which does not actually send enforcement notices or citation payment requests via unsolicited text.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

Residents should be vigilant about unsolicited text messages, especially those claiming to be from government agencies demanding payment. Deleting the messages, blocking the senders, and not clicking any links or providing information is the best way to avoid falling victim to this scam.