Fake PennDOT Text Message Scam Circulating In Philly Region

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Police departments are warning residents to be aware of a fake PennDOT text message scam that is circulating in the region.

The Yardley Borough Police Department is informing residents about the scam that claims to be from the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)” regarding an alleged delinquent traffic infraction.

Two Yardley police officers received the same text one morning over the past few days.

The message threatens driver’s license suspension, vehicle registration revocation, collections, legal action, and credit reporting unless payment is made through a link provided in the text.

Police are telling residents not to click the link.

Police said residents should not provide payment information, personal information, driver’s license information, or banking information.

This is an example of the message received:

“Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Formal Notice of Delinquency: Pursuant to department records, the traffic infraction linked to your profile remains in an unresolved status. This correspondence serves as a definitive final notification that the requisite payment has not been successfully processed by this office. In strict accordance with the mandates stipulated in Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, should full remittance fail to be submitted by the deadline of April 25, 2026, the subsequent enforcement measures shall be executed immediately:

1. Submission of a formal violation entry into the permanent records of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot).

2. Administrative revocation of the associated vehicle registration, effective exactly on April 26, 2026.

3. Mandatory suspension of operating privileges (driver's license) for a continuous duration of no less than 30 days.

4. Transfer of the delinquent debt to a secondary collection's agency, incurring a supplemental processing fee of as much as 35 percent.

5. Initiation of formal legal litigation and the reporting of adverse credit data to national bureaus. To preclude the implementation of these statutory penalties, you are hereby directed to remit payment through the designated government portal:”

Residents are reminded that scammers often use official-sounding language, legal references, urgent deadlines, and threats of penalties to pressure people into acting quickly.

What you should do:

• Do not click the link.
• Do not reply to the message.
• Do not send money or provide personal information.
• Delete the message.

When in doubt, contact PennDOT directly through an official website or phone number — not through a link sent by text message.

Police ask residents to speak with family members, neighbors, and especially older residents who may be more likely to be targeted by these types of scams.