The latest round of smishing scams – this one targeting people over bogus toll road charges – has prompted a warning from the FBI.
The FBI is warning iPhone and Android users in the U.S. to delete fraudulent text messages that appear to come from toll road operators, delivery companies and government agencies, Newsweek reported. The texts are part of a large-scale smishing scam that has exploited more than 10,000 newly registered domains, according to the reports.
Since March 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has received more than 2,000 reports related to the fraudulent toll payment messages, Newsweek reported, prompting the latest warning.
“The texts claim the recipient owes money for unpaid tolls and contain almost identical language,” the FBI said. “However, the link provided within the text is created to impersonate the state’s toll service name, and phone numbers appear to change between states.”
The exact message in the texts varies but generally urges people to click on a link to pay a bill and avoid late fees and potential legal action.
Smishing is a cyber scam that uses SMS, or text, messages that often contain links to things such as webpages, email addresses or phone numbers that, when clicked on, open a browser window or email or direct people to dial a number. Doing any of those things can expose someone’s personal information, potentially costing them money and giving access to banking accounts.
What should you do if you receive a toll text? Here’s what FTC recommends:
- 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 and don’t use the contact info on the text. If you haven’t traveled and know you didn’t go through a toll, you can almost bet the text is a scam.
- 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).
