DAYTON — If you have been on a road trip, then you’re probably familiar with modern tolling systems allowing you to pay your toll fees online. If you anticipate paying for any outstanding tolls, watch out for this text message phishing scam where fraudsters impersonate toll collection services, trying to trick people into paying for fake outstanding tolls.
How the scam works:
You receive a text message from what appears to be a state tollway collection service, like the Ohio Turnpike. The text message says you owe a road toll fee, but you need to pay it immediately to avoid a late fee. The message includes a link to settle your balance, which appears to be from the state’s toll service, making the message look legitimate. However, if you click the link, you may notice they are asking for sensitive personal information, like your Social Security number. If you proceed and provide your personal and payment information on the website, scammers could now have access to that information, and you may have lost some money.
This week, the BBB has had three reports of this scam from local residents. A Centerville woman received a text saying “Ohio Turnpike Tolls Services, our records indicate that your vehicle has an unpaid toll invoice. To avoid additional charges of $150.00, please settle your balance of $7.60 at LINK.” The woman had never been on a toll road and fortunately never fell for the scam. A Fairborn woman received a similar text saying “Ohio Turnpike Tolls Services, our records indicate that your vehicle has an unpaid toll invoice. To avoid additional charges of $97.50, please settle your balance of $9.75 at LINK.” A Trotwood woman received an identical text message as the Fairborn woman. Fortunately, these two women also didn’t fall for the scam.
How to avoid text message phishing scams:
Verify your outstanding toll balance with the legitimate agency. Instead of clicking on the link in the text message, go to your web browser, find the toll service’s actual website, and log in to your account to verify if you have any outstanding toll payments. Another way to verify this is by calling the toll service’s customer service line. Don’t call the phone number that texted you or any phone numbers included in the text message. Instead, find the toll service’s legitimate phone number on its website.
Know the warning signs of a fake text. If you receive an unusual text message, there are several things to look for to help you identify if it’s fake. For instance, the message may have typos and poor grammar.
Don’t click on links or download files that are unexpectedly texted to you. Scammers can disguise a URL to appear legitimate when it isn’t.
Don’t give out your personal information. Phishing scams often ask you to provide personal information like your birthdate, Social Security number and more. Never give out this information unless you are 100% certain you’re talking or working with a legitimate person or agency you can trust.
Block the number and delete the message. Don’t engage with the scammer if you think you received a fake text message. Instead, block the phone number and delete the text message. Refusing to engage and blocking the phone number can help prevent scammers from contacting you again.
If you receive a text message impersonating a road toll collection service, report it. You can file a report with BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/scamtracker to help warn others about this new scam. In addition, file a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.
About Your BBB Serving Dayton and the Miami Valley
The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands and charities they can trust for over 110 years. In 2023, people turned to BBB more than 218 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.3 million businesses, and 80,000 times for BBB charity reports on about 12,000 charities, for free at BBB.org. Regional, independent BBBs can be found across the United States and Canada. including BBB Serving Dayton and the Miami Valley, which was founded in 1925 and serves Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby and northern Warren counties in Ohio.
