The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are warning Tennesseans about a new scam involving text messages that say they come from the Tennessee Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV.
The scam messages claim the recipient has outstanding traffic ticket fines and threatens that their vehicle registration and driving privileges will be suspended if payment is not made.
Some messages include a link directing users to a fake website designed to look like the official state Department of Safety and Homeland Security site.
“These messages are not from the TDOSHS or the THP,” the agencies said in a joint prepared statement. “They are fake messages trying to scam Tennesseans.”
This new outstanding traffic ticket scam is similar to the recent unpaid toll scam and other messages pretending to be from trusted sources that have been making the rounds across the country.
The state agencies urges Tennesseans to take steps to protect themselves:
• The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security does not send text messages about overdue traffic fines, fees, payments, or license suspensions.
• Do not click on any links or respond to unexpected texts. “Scammers want you to react quickly,” the prepared statement said.
• Always use a verified phone number or website. Do not use the contact information in a suspicious message.
• Check the end of a suspicious email. “Emails from Tennessee State Government end in ‘@tn.gov,” the agencies said. “Messages from Gmail, Hotmail, iCloud, or other providers are not official.”
• Report and delete scam text messages. Use the phone’s “report junk” option to report the message, block the number and then delete it. The state advises consumers they can also report scams and suspicious communications to the Federal Trade Commission.
“If you are a victim of this scam, report your interaction to www.ic3.gov,” the statement said.
Visit the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs at www.tn.gov/consumer for more information about common scams and how to protect against them.