TWRA Warns of National Fishing License Scam Sites

The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency is warning anglers about license scam sites.

Chief of Outreach and Communications Jennifer Wisniewski said these scam sites claim to sell official licenses.

“What they end up sending you is a PDF of tips of how to go fishing and instructions on how to actually purchase your fishing license,” Wisniewski said. “So they charge you between 20 to 50 dollars depending on which state you put down you live in.”

Scam sites like RecreationalLicenses. org look trustworthy on the surface. (Screengrab of recreationallicenses.org)

Wisniewski said one of the scam sites is recreationalicenses.org. Wisniewski said the fake sites look real on the surface.

“When you Google buying fishing licenses in Tennessee, these companies pay for ad words so that they are at the top of the results list,” Wisniewski said. “So that’s how people are getting tricked.”

Wisniewski said the scammers work from other countries outside of the United States.

“These websites have been active for several years. And it seems like it comes in waves and it may be with the seasons,” Wisniewski said. “But now that it is heating up outside, people are going to buy their fishing licenses. But we have had several complaints about it in the past couple of weeks.”

gooutdoorstennessee.com is the only website where individuals can purchase real Tennessee licenses. (Screengrab of TWRA)

Wisniewski said the TWRA will continue to work with other agencies to keep the scammers at bay.

“You know we are working to try to get these companies shut down or disabled,” Wisniewski said. “But until then, I just try to get the word out to as many people as possible not to do this.”

Victims of license scams can dispute the charges with their credit card company or bank.

The TWRA runs the only website that offers official Tennessee Licenses.