The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles on Wednesday warned Coloradans of a deceptive new text message scam in which fraudsters are impersonating the DMV.

The Colorado DMV said the text messages are “crafted to appear as official communications” with a goal of “frightening recipients into clicking malicious links and divulging personal or financial information under the guise of settling non-existent violations.”

Although the wording can vary, typically the text messages will say they are from the Colorado DMV or a similar “official sounding” entity and accuse the recipient of having an unpaid ticket or violation.

The text messages generate a sense of urgency, threatening legal action, suspended driving privileges or vehicle registration, or impacts to a credit score.

The Colorado DMV said the messages will also contain a link to a fake website to “resolve” the issue.

“It’s critical for all Coloradans to understand: These messages are NOT from the Colorado DMV,” the department said in a news release Wednesday.

The Colorado DMV said if you receive this text message do not click on any links, refrain from sharing personal or financial information (including driver’s license number, Social Security number, credit card or banking details) and do not reply to the text message.

Anyone concerned about their driver’s license, vehicle registration or outstanding tickets can contact the Colorado DMV at its official website dmv.colorado.gov or by phone at 303-205-5600.

“Do not use any contact information provided in the suspicious text,” the Colorado DMV said.

Suspicious texts can be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Include the phone number or email address that sent the message and the website linked in the text.