Motorists warned a large number of motorists had been targeted by a devious new scam over the past five weeks
- Linkt puts people who report scams in the lottery for a new car
- It received 105,000 toll scam reports in five weeks
Australia’s national toll road authority has taken an unusual approach in the fight against scammers, with more than 105,000 scams reported in just five weeks.
Research conducted by Transurban, the operator of Linkt, found that more than 80 percent of scam incidents went unreported, mostly in the form of text messages.
SMS phishing scams impersonate reputable toll brands, such as Linkt, in an attempt to steal personal information such as account numbers, passwords, and credit card information.
To combat the growing problem, Transurban has begun encouraging road users to report incidents after the company’s research found that only nine percent of people report suspicious text to Linkt.
Research conducted by Transurban, the operator of Linkt, found that more than 80 percent of scam incidents went unreported
SMS phishing scams impersonate reputable toll brands, such as Linkt, in an attempt to steal personal information such as account numbers, passwords, and credit card information.
The results of the initiative speak for themselves, with scam reports quadrupling.
Australians can report toll road scams online or through the Linkt app and enter a draw to win an electric car or one of many gift cards.
In the first five weeks of the campaign alone, an average of 21,000 scams per week were reported – four times the usual number.
Transurban’s customer and technology group executive Simon Moorfield said the sheer volume of reports had “already exceeded (the company’s) expectations.”
“This really shows the scale of the scam problem across Australia,” he said.
“We hope the chance to win a car will encourage more people to devote a few minutes of their day to fighting texting scams.”
The competition, which ends on June 4, is open to anyone who receives a toll road scam message, regardless of whether they are a Linkt customer or not, and report it.
Mr Moorfield has urged toll users to remember that the company will never ask for payment details via SMS. He said people are always being redirected to log into their account online or through the app.
He also reminded Australians that scams can ‘get the best of us’.
Those who report the scam enter the draw to win a fully electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 Dynamiq
“If something about a text doesn’t seem right to you, the best thing to do is pause, take a moment, and come back to it with fresh eyes,” he said.
Since the contest launched, Transurban has blocked 3,500 unique phone numbers and 150 fraudulent URLs.
In 2022 alone, Scamwatch received 14,585 reports of toll road scams, with losses totaling $664,000.
Scams can be reported at any time via the Scamwatch website.