A smishing scam posing as a toll authority has now spread nationwide, following the first reported fake text messages in January claiming recipients owed outstanding fees.
According to The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, the Federal Trade Commission warned the public of the national nature of the text messages in a consumer alert it issued on March 4.
“Whether you’ve driven through a toll recently or not, you might have received a text saying you owe money for unpaid tolls. It’s probably a scam. Scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies from coast to coast and sending texts demanding money,” the FTC said in the alert.
The messages follow a familiar pattern for scams, especially ones that target older individuals or people unfamiliar with how state toll agencies conduct their business.
The message states that the recipient owes an outstanding toll bill, which is designed to induce panic in the recipient, but the message also contains a giveaway that it isn’t authentic.
Instead of directing the user to a link that is clickable inside the text message, it indicates that the user has to reply Y for yes and then copy and paste the link into their phone’s browser, an extra step that no legitimate sender will initiate.
This, along with the fact that toll authorities in various states have indicated that they do not send text messages or emails with a person’s balance, are all indications that the messages are not legitimate.
The scam, however is not new, this variation of it is more widespread than a similar scheme in April 2024, which the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center noted also moved across state lines. “IC3 complaint information indicates the scam may be moving from state to state,” the IC3 warned at the time.
According to the FTC, the target of the scam is not just an individual’s money, but potentially their identity as well. “Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info—like your driver’s license number—and even steal your identity,” the agency warned.
Instead of clicking the link, or even opening the text message itself, users can delete and report suspicious messages by using your phone’s “report junk” or “block message” feature, which also allows you to report a message as spam, depending on if a user’s phone is an Android or an iPhone.
As a general practice, it is advised not to reply to messages from phone numbers that are unrecognized, not to click links in texts from unknown senders, or engage with messages from senders whose legitimacy is uncertain.
According to The Spokesman-Recorder, clicking a fraudulent link can let the scammer or scammers install ransomware, steal personal information, or get access to banking information, which can create a whole host of financial problems for a user.
Authorities have urged those who have received a message related to a toll which they deem suspicious to delete the message and report it to either the FTC or their state transportation agency.
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