Maine Police Say a Phishing Scam Targets Registered Sex Offenders

Scammers are getting creative, this time targeting a very specific group of Mainers, asking for sensitive information.

Maine Sex Offenders Targeted By a Snail Mail Phishing Scam

Most scams we hear of these days are initiated via phone, email, or social media.

But this new scam is being sent via traditional, or 'snail' mail, to people on the Maine Sex Offender Registry.

READ MORE: 10 Weird Maine Laws You Won't Believe are Still in Effect

Maine State Police say the letters claim to be from the 'Maine Probation Tonduary.'

I was curious, so I had to Google the word 'Tonduary.' As far as Google is concerned, it doesn't exist. Big tip-off that this is fake.

Maine Sex Offender Scam Claims Sensitive Information Was Lost in a Data Upgrade

The letter states that some of the recipient's personal information has been lost due to a migration error during an upgrade of their probation registry database.

It goes on to say that the sender is required by law to update the information to ensure compliance with probation terms and accurate monitoring.

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Information being requested in the recipient's reply includes:

• Their current phone number
• A scanned copy of their most recent electric bill (for address verification purposes)
• A scanned copy of their driver's license (front and back)
• A scanned copy of their Social Security card
• A scanned copy of their passport (if they have one)

The recipient is instructed to send the information to an email address that, again, includes the word Tonduary.

Maine State Police Say the Maine Probation Tonduary Letters are a Scam

Maine State Police say these letters are a phishing scam, aimed at garnering sensitive information about the recipients.

They advise anyone who receives one of the letters NOT to send their information to the email address.

Officials say they should, instead, contact the Maine Sex Offender Registry at 207-624-7270 or their local law enforcement agency.