Have you or someone you know received a text saying you owe unpaid tolls? More than likely, it is a scam. Even though Alabama does have several toll roads, chances are that if you live around here (unless you travel some) you probably have not driven through one recently. Quite simply, a toll road is a public or private road that you have to pay a fee (or toll) to pass. Scammers are pretending to be representatives of tolling agencies across the country and sending texts demanding money. I have had a few employees report that they have experienced this themselves. Let’s learn how it works and how to avoid so we don’t fall prey to this type of scam. Remember, if you can spot a scam you can stop a scam.
Here’s how it works. You get an unexpected text from a “tolling agency” that says you have unpaid tolls and need to pay immediately. Some legitimate toll services are FastTrak, EZ Pass, Freedom Pass, SunPass, or Bestpass. However, just because the company is legit doesn’t mean the text is. The text may show an amount you supposedly owe and will include a link for your payment convenience. How nice of them, right? However, that link is a smishing scam and will take you to a fraudulent site. On the fake site, you enter all your personal info as well as debit/credit card information and BOOM the scammers have your entire life. You have just given them everything they need to steal your identity. Below are some examples of toll scam texts:
Here is what to do if you receive a text about an unpaid toll:
- DO NOT CLICK THE LINK!
- Visit the legitimate toll service website directly or call them.
- Use your phone’s report junk feature and delete the text.
- Think before acting. Have you crossed a toll road? Have you even been anywhere close to a toll road? If no, do not fall victim to this scam.
You can report this or any other scam to either the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov or to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
