Summer road trips are a great way to explore the country, but be wary of a new scam targeting travelers: toll fraud.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning about the dangers of text message fraud involving unpaid tolls.
These scams, often called “smishing,” aim to trick people into giving up their personal information.
The scam works as follows: You receive a text message stating that you still have toll payments outstanding in your account.
The message may contain a false toll amount and a threat of late payment penalties. To avoid these penalties, the text instructs you to click on a link to settle the balance.
An urgent warning has been issued over a clever SMS scam called ‘smishing’ that is targeting travellers
However, if you click on the link, you will be redirected to a fraudulent website designed to steal your personal information, such as your credit card number, driver’s license details, or passwords.
According to the FBI, more than 2,000 complaints have been received since March.
Wolfgang Goerlich, a cybersecurity researcher at IANS Research in Boston, has highlighted the growing popularity of smishing scams. According to Goerlich, the shift from phone calls to texting in everyday life has made smishing scams more effective.
Given our familiarity with text updates for flight schedules or upcoming payments, a text about unpaid tolls can easily seem legitimate and non-threatening. Goerlich emphasizes the importance of vigilance and caution when responding to suspicious text messages.
Michael Scheumack, Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer of IdentityIQ, a leading identity theft protection service, warns about the tactics scammers use in toll road scams.
These criminals often create a sense of urgency to pressure victims to pay quickly. In the FBI example mentioned earlier, scammers threaten late fees.
If a victim clicks on the link in the scam text, they may be taken to a fake website designed to collect sensitive information. This could be driver’s licenses, credit card details, usernames, passwords, or even malware that can infect their smartphone.
By providing personal information, victims can expose themselves to the serious risk of identity theft. Scheumack stresses the importance of caution and avoiding clicking on links in suspicious text messages.
It’s important to remember that toll agencies typically don’t send text messages about unpaid tolls. Instead, they send you a message in the mail, says Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan, chief scientist and EVP of product and development.
It is important to remember that toll agencies do not typically send text messages about unpaid tolls. Instead, they send you a message in the mail, says Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan, chief scientist and EVP of product and development
If you receive a suspicious message, there is a good chance that it is a scam.
Ramzan also said that you should be skeptical about the links in the messages.
He advises that if you suspect the link is legitimate, you should go over and inspect the URL before clicking. A mismatched or suspicious URL is a strong indicator of a scam.
It is also important to watch out for typos or strange wording: these are clear signs of fraud.
If you believe you have been a victim of a toll road scam, contact your card issuer, freeze and check your credit reports, and sign up for identity theft protection.
The FTC advises not to delete the fraudulent message before reporting the scam.
“Please use the ‘report spam’ option on your phone to report these unwanted messages to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM),” the agency said.