Scammers are texting drivers about unpaid tolls, causing chaos amongst some consumers

By Alexandra Skores, CNN

(CNN) — If you’ve received a text claiming you owe unpaid tolls, you’re not alone.

Over 60,000 complaints were made to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center last year about unpaid toll scams. People all over the country are being contacted, mostly via text messages, and being told they owe money for highway tolls.

Some of these texts appear to come from phone numbers that appear real but feature fake email addresses. “The texts may include a link that looks like it’s from the state’s toll service and may include a phone number,” according to the FBI.

Consumer protection service McAfee found scam texts nearly quadrupled from January to late February this year. Steve Grobman, executive vice president and chief technology officer at McAfee, said the toll scam is effective because it hits all the correct social points for a consumer.

“They’re able to use the recipient’s location anything from as simple as their area code, but also with a lot of the data breaches over the last few years, they know physically where people live or have lived, and can then target them with location-relevant toll scam,” Grobman said.

McAfee found that 76% of messages from January and February had links, many using URL shorteners like bit.ly to hide where links actually go. These scam websites also use domains like “.vip,” “.top,” and “.xin” to trick people into thinking they are official websites.

Massachusetts resident Caroline Holland thought she was getting ahead of the toll scams she had seen on the news.

When Holland got texts claiming to be from her state’s Department of Transportation, she assumed it was a scam, much like the over 60,000 complaints made to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center last year about unpaid toll scams.

“I saw a couple, and I was like, ‘I’ve read about this scam. I’m not going to fall for it. I’m a little bit more aware than that,’” Holland, 37, explained. “I got a few more and I didn’t really read them super closely.”

But just a few months after Holland ignored the texts, she had a letter in the mail from a collection agency stating she hadn’t paid her tolls. Her credit card had expired for her EZDriveMA account, Massachusetts tolling program, and some of the texts she was receiving turned out to be legitimate.

CNN reached out to Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and it denied the department would send texts.

However, when Holland’s situation was explained, the DOT replied: EZDriveMA will utilize text messages to notify account holders regarding issues with their account, such as a low prepaid balance, a declined or expired credit card on file, or a malfunctioning transponder. These messages direct customers to the EZDriveMA Customer Service Center, and do not include links. EZDriveMA will never request payment via text.

Holland may be one of the few exceptions to the scam. She has since paid the balance and everything has settled.

Much like Holland’s case, where she received both legitimate and scam texts, the scammers have also looked up matching names of real toll systems near or in a consumer’s area.

Recent McAfee research shows that the average American sees an average of 14 scam messages and deepfakes on social media, via text and email, daily.

“People need to recognize that scammers are trying to create situations that create fear, anxiety and a sense of urgency,” Grobman said.

How to avoid being a victim of toll scams

The FBI urges people to be cautious of clicking links in text messages, even if they appear to come from a “trusted source.”

“Remember that companies generally don’t contact you to ask for your username or password,” guidance from the FBI states. “Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message. Look up the company’s phone number on your own (don’t use the one a potential scammer is providing) and call the company to ask if the request is legitimate.”

The FBI also warns about downloads and urges people to be careful.

Should you have clicked on anything or provided your information, set up ways to secure your personal information and financial accounts. The FBI also encourages people to report suspicious text messages to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and any appropriate authorities.

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