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The Latest Text Message Scam You Need to Know About (SunPass Users Beware)

Text message scams are on the rise. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been bombarded with scam texts that look frighteningly legitimate and are easy to fall for. That’s why it’s important for you to stay up to date on the latest text message scams. The most recent one is the Road Toll Collection scam, a phishing scam that pretends to be a toll collection service and deceives you into paying fake tolls.

How the Road Toll Collection Scam Works

The road toll collection scam works like this: you receive a text message from a state tollway collection service, such as Florida Turnpike (SunPass tolls), alerting you that you have an outstanding toll balance. 

This scam creates a sense of urgency and warns you that you’ll be charged a hefty late fee if you don’t pay your balance ASAP. The message includes a link to make the payment, but if you click on it and pay with your credit card, you’ve just given the scammer your credit card information. Worse, you’ll lose the total amount you just paid.   

It’s easy to fall for this scam because it’s hard to distinguish if the text message is fake or not. Scammers use this to their advantage, preying on people’s emotions. This scam causes anxiety and worry, which makes us act impulsively, resulting in clicking on the link right away. 

Road Toll Collection Text Message Scam

Real Life Reports of the Road Toll Collection Scam

According to the Better Business Bureau, there have been many reports of the Toll collection scam. Here are some real life reports.

One victim shared: I received a text message saying “We’ve noticed an outstanding balance of $11.69 on your record. To prevent a late fee of $50.00… ” I didn’t suspect anything in the beginning because I’ve traveled to North Carolina recently so I just thought I had some outstanding toll fees to pay. However, it became odd after I tried loading the URL on my computer and it said page does not exist. So I followed the link on my phone to attempt paying, and after I entered my phone number and driver’s license number, the site stopped working. I then searched online to see if this is a scam, and indeed this is a phishing website and I got scammed.

Another victim reported: “I drove the NYS thruway Tuesday and I got a text from Sunpass in Florida saying that I owed a balance. I had a late fee if I did not pay the $11.61 fee, and an additional 50.00 if not paid by today. I did not get that far to pay- However I provided my Phone number and my drivers license number. I did drive the roads in Florida in February so it made sense.”

A victim shared, “Our bank account was low, and I got a got the same morning saying this: Texas toll services: We’ve noticed an outstanding toll amount of $11.69 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit https://sunpasstollservices.com to settle your balance. After I put in personal information and my card info, it said, “We didn’t charge you!” $0.00 – and blinked out. I didn’t immediately recognize it as a scam, but thought about it an hour later, looked it up, and realized I had made a huge mistake!”

Some are lucky, these are reports of close calls.

A consumer shared: I received a text message. The exact message is: “California toll services: We’ve noticed an outstanding balance of $11.69 on your record. To prevent a late fee of $50.00, please visit https://ncsunspasstollservices.com to settle your invoice.”. Luckily this was easily recognizable as a scam, as I have never driven in California.

Another consumer shared, “I was sent a text message that I owe the Florida Turnpike fee of $12.51 or face a late fee of $50. I nor my husband have been anywhere near the Florida Turnpike.”

Here is another example: Scammer sent me a text message claiming to be Michigan toll services, trying to collect $11.69 for an unpaid toll on a Michigan toll road (Michigan doesn’t have toll roads). They also stated in the text message to prevent a late fee of $50 i needed to pay as soon as possible with a link to a phishing (sunspasstollsservices) site to obtain my driver’s license number and credit card info.

Road Toll Collection Text Message Scam

What to Do If You Get These Scam Text Messages

If you get a text message claiming that you have unpaid tolls, instead of clicking on the link to pay, go to the actual toll agency website. It’s hard to tell whether these text messages are real or fake, and as a rule of thumb, it’s safer to assume that they are fake. 

Instead of clicking on the link, open a new browser and search for the website of the actual toll agency. This way, you can either log in to the toll agency website or call the customer service number on the toll agency’s official website to confirm if you have any outstanding balance. 

Never call the number on the text! Doing so could lead you to a fake customer service representative who is actually the scammer.  

It’s best to block the number and delete the message without responding or clicking on any links. Blocking the number ensures that you won’t receive any future calls or texts from the scammer.

What to do if you become a victim of the Road Toll Collection scam?

If you become a victim of a road toll collection scam, the first thing you should do is contact your credit card company right away. Ask them to stop the fraudulent transaction and notify them that there may be more fraudulent charges to follow. The company will cancel your credit card and replace it with a new one with a new number. 

Also, you should contact the toll services company (look for the official customer service phone number on the real website). Tell them about the scam, double-check that your account is up to date, and make any necessary payments. You can also report the scam to the Better Business Bureau. 

Remember, when it comes to text messages, always stay vigilant. Never click on any link or even respond “No”, “Yes” or “Stop”. If you’re unsure if a message is a scam, it’s best to contact the tollway service directly to confirm before making any payments.

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