BOSTON — Primary election day is next week, but election officials say a scam is starting to surface that voters need to be aware of.  

A new scam that has emerged in Massachusetts comes in the form of a text message that claims you aren’t eligible to vote, and prompts the recipient to click a link and update their information. Officials say that link is really a way for scammers to get personal details. 

Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin held his pre-election press conference on Thursday to talk about voting expectations, but when he got to the microphone, he notified the public about a new scam he is concerned about. 

“No local officials, nor anyone else representing election administration in Massachusetts, texts voters to do anything,” he said. “At best, these are mistaken efforts, maybe by campaigns. At worst, they're more likely efforts to get personal information or contact with voters.”

Galvin says that right now they’ve gotten multiple reports from different districts within Middlesex County. It’s so new that they suspect it could be much more far-reaching. 

“The reason why I'm mentioning it is it's been brought to our attention by local officials in different communities,” said Galvin. “So, we think it's a bigger problem than a single community or a single campaign.” 

Because this information has just been reported in recent days, they are still investigating this potential scam and want everyone at home to be aware.

“We go to great lengths to protect the rights of voters. The information we have that we must obtain from people when they register to vote, we try to protect as much as possible,” said Galvin. 

Galvin says if you get one of these text messages to report it to your local election official or to his office directly. Don’t respond or click on any links. And if you are concerned, you can easily check your registration status through your local clerk.