Feds warn drivers about unpaid toll scam texts

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued a warning to the public about an uptick in scammers pretending to be tolling agencies.

In a January 17 memo, the FTC said that Americans from coast to coast are at risk of falling for an unpaid toll phishing scam.

“You get a text out of the blue that says you have unpaid tolls and need to pay immediately. The scammy text might show a dollar amount for how much you supposedly owe and include a link that takes you to a page to enter your bank or credit card info — but it’s a phishing scam. 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,” officials said.

The FTC recommends that you take the following steps if you get a suspicious text message:

• Don’t click on any links in, or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.
• Check to see if the text is legit. Reach out to the state’s tolling agency using a phone number or website you know is real — not the info from the text.
• Report and delete unwanted text messages. Use your phone’s “report junk” option to report unwanted texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM). Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the text.

To learn more from the FTC about how to protect yourself from text scams, click here.