Consumer Protection - As enacted, adds as unlawful under the Consumer Protection Act of 1977 the making of false statements or misrepresentations of fact to a consumer to indicate or imply that the consumer is a party to a civil lawsuit or a defendant in a criminal prosecution in order to induce the consumer to pay for services related to the purported lawsuit or prosecution or to pay costs, fines, penalties, or other assessments related to the purported lawsuit or prosecution. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 39; Title 47 and Title 65.

SB 816 makes it illegal in Tennessee to falsely claim a consumer is involved in a lawsuit or criminal case to trick them into paying for fake legal services, fees, or fines. The bill adds this specific deception to the Consumer Protection Act of 1977 as an unlawful practice. It directly protects consumers from scams where fraudsters use fabricated legal threats to extract money. The law amends Tennessee Code Sections 47-18-2108(b) and related titles to implement this prohibition. It became effective April 11, 2025, after Governor approval.