The FBI has issued a warning about deceiving texting messages that are demanding people to pay unpaid road tolls.
People who receive these scam messages on their phones need to delete them as quickly as possible, the FBI stated, per Forbes.
“Scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies from coast to coast and sending texts demanding money,” the FTC stated, per Forbes. “Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info (like your driver’s license number) — and even steal your identity.”
The deceiving texts, which show a dollar amount and a link to pay, come from somebody pretending to be a local agency. People from Massachusetts, California, North and South Carolina, Illinois, Colorado, Florida and several other states reported that they received these messages in January. The FBI adds that the first reports about the scam were heard in March 2024. According to the agency, there have been thousands of people “reporting smishing texts representing road toll collection services” since then. The texts, according to the FBI, “claim the recipient owes money for unpaid tolls and contain almost identical language.”
“The ‘outstanding toll amount’ is similar… 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 FBI stated.
The city of Great Falls in Montana recently alerted residents about the scam.
“This is a SCAM and is not coming from the City of Great Falls. Please do not click the link in the message,” the city posted on X.
Great Falls, please be on the lookout for this text scam!📱🚨A few local people have recently received a text referring to their vehicle having an “outstanding toll bill.” This is a SCAM and is not coming from the City of Great Falls. Please do not click the link in the message. pic.twitter.com/h0oUOiMvBu— City of Great Falls, MT (@City_GreatFalls) February 6, 2025
The FBI hopes to stop any additional people from falling for the scam.
“Check your account using the toll service’s legitimate website [or] contact the toll service’s customer service phone number,” the bureau stated.