COFFEE COUNTY, TN – The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a text message scam that has resurfaced in Middle Tennessee, targeting unsuspecting victims. Reports from officials in Coffee County, along with text messages from WGNS listeners, the same scam continues to hit phone numbers in Rutherford, Williamson, Davidson, Wilson and Bedford Counties.

The scam begins with a text or email that appears to be from FedEx® Ground, claiming that a package delivery attempt failed and urging the recipient to reschedule using a suspicious link. One fraudulent example reads: "We attempted to deliver your FedEx package on August 20th, but were unable to contact you... Reschedule now: https://www.fedex.com@qteui.ink/us.”

Authorities stress that the message is a scam. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), clicking suspicious links can direct victims to fake websites designed to steal personal and financial information or install malware onto their devices.

Scammers use these deceptive texts to trick people into providing sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or account credentials. Once obtained, the data can be used for identity theft or financial fraud, often resulting in drained bank accounts and maxed-out credit cards.

This scheme is not limited to fake FedEx messages. Similar phishing texts posing as UPS or the U.S. Postal Service have also been reported in Rutherford County and surrounding areas. Officials warn that regardless of the shipping company named, the link is almost always fraudulent.

Residents are urged to protect themselves by avoiding random links sent via text or email. Instead, verify delivery details directly with the shipping company by visiting their official website or calling customer service using verified phone numbers.

Suspicious texts can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov or forwarded to SPAM (7726).