State officials are urging Tennesseans to be on high alert following a wave of fraudulent text messages targeting drivers across the state.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announced they have received numerous reports of scammers sending text messages that falsely claim recipients have unpaid traffic fines or face imminent driver’s license suspension.

State authorities issued a firm reminder to the public that the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security will NEVER send text messages demanding payment for traffic fines or threatening to suspend a license.

If you receive one of these messages, officials advise taking the following immediate actions:

• Do not click on any links within the text.

• Do not send any form of payment.

• Delete the message immediately and report it to your carrier as spam.

For those seeking more information on common digital scams and protective measures, resources are available through the Tennessee Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs at tn.gov/attorneygeneral.

Are you a victim? If you have already interacted with this scam or lost money to it, officials urge you to file an official report immediately with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.