The Tennessee Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts are warning Tennesseans about a text and email phishing scam that references an outstanding parking violation/toll violation and appears to be from the Tennessee Supreme Court.
The message includes a link and/or QR code that leads to a fake website, said a joint a written statement from the high court and administrative office.
“We want everyone know that these text messages and emails are not coming from the Tennessee Supreme Court,” said Chief Justice Jeff Bivins. “This is a scam.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recommends Tennesseans take the following steps if you receive one of these scam messages:
Ignore it. Do not respond to the message, click any links, or scan the QR code.
Report it. Go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov to file a complaint.
Delete it.
Phishing scams are fraudulent attempts by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information — such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or personal data — by masquerading as trustworthy entities via email, text or phone calls.
The statement said these scams often create a false sense of urgency, urging victims to click malicious links or open infected attachments.
Go to tinyurl.com/TNScamsSwindles to read more about these types of scams and how consumers can protect themselves.