UPDATE: The Martin County Tax Collector Ruth “Ski” Pietruszewski has clarified a notice she sent yesterday warning residents about a red-light email scam.
The department has learned the email was actually a training test done by healthcare provider BayCare.
“Consumer Alert: Pinellas County Tax Collector warns residents about email scam” press release
BayCare IT training exercise masquerades as consumer email scam
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, MARCH 14, 2017 – This is an update to the press release sent out on the morning of Tuesday, March 14, 2017, titled “Consumer Alert: Pinellas County Tax Collector warns residents about email scam.”
The Pinellas County Tax Collector’s office just received notice from the Clearwater Police Department that the email scam reported to our office from concerned residents is the result of an IT training exercise at BayCare to test whether or not the organization’s recent phishing training was successful.
Detectives at the Clearwater Police Department have been in contact with BayCare’s management team.
EARLIER:
The Martin County Tax Collector is warning drivers about an email scam circulating the state.
It claims the recipient ran a red light and has 72 hours to pay a fine.
“I hope to protect our Martin County taxpayers from this online theft by warning our residents that receive this e-mail to delete it immediately and not click on any of the links. It is a scam," said Martin County Tax Collector Ruth “Ski” Pietruszewski in a statement.
The bogus email claims to come from the local Department of Motor Vehicles, Pietruszewski said.
