NASHVILLE, TN (WGNS) – State officials are alerting Tennesseans to a new scam targeting drivers through fraudulent text messages that claim to be from the Tennessee Department of Vehicles.
According to a joint warning from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), the scam texts falsely state that recipients have outstanding traffic ticket fines. The messages threaten that failure to pay will result in suspension of vehicle registration or driving privileges.
Some versions of the scam include a link to a counterfeit website designed to mimic the official TDOSHS site, but authorities stress that these messages are not legitimate.
“This is a scam designed to trick Tennesseans into providing personal or financial information,” the TDOSHS said in a statement. “We do not send text messages about overdue traffic fines, license suspensions, or fee collections.”
The scam is similar to recent fraudulent messages involving unpaid tolls and other impersonations of government agencies. State officials recommend the following precautions:
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Do not click on any links or respond to suspicious text messages.
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Verify contact information using official channels — never use links or numbers provided in unsolicited messages.
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Check the sender's email domain — official Tennessee government emails end in “@tn.gov.”
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Report and delete scam texts using your phone’s “report junk” option, and block the sender.
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Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
For more information on avoiding scams, visit the Tennessee Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs at www.tn.gov/consumer.
