Consumer Alert: Phishing Email Scam Targets Tennessee Attorneys

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s Division of Consumer Affairs is sharing an alert from the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility that state bars across the nation are receiving reports of an email scam targeting attorneys using false notifications of actions purportedly from attorney regulatory agencies.

In these phishing emails, the lawyer is instructed to click on a link or attachment to view a complaint or pay fees, which then loads a malicious software called ransomware or cryptoware that blocks computer access until a sum of money is paid. Although the Board of Professional Responsibility has not received any reports of Tennessee attorneys receiving these emails, attorneys should be aware of this scam.

“Scam artists are using technology in increasingly insidious ways to harm innocent consumers and taxpayers,” said TDCI Deputy Commissioner Bill Giannini. “Consumers should always be on guard and remember to never click on links in an email that connect to a website unless you are absolutely certain they are authentic.”

The Board does communicate with attorneys by email; however, if you receive an email from the Board of Professional Responsibility with a link, you can identify whether it is legitimate by hovering over the link to see if it displays the Board’s domain, “tbpr.org” near the beginning of the link, or if it displays a different website. If a different website is displayed, delete the email immediately.

If you have questions about the legitimacy of an email, contact the Board at 1-800-486-5714.

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