Unpaid tolls? Text scam looks to steal your money and information

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Have you received a text message warning about an unpaid toll bill? It’s likely a “smishing” scam that could steal your money and information.

A few variations of this scam have been circulating in the Charleston area over the past few weeks. Messages include warning users that they must pay their “FastTrak Lane tolls” by a certain date to avoid a fine and keep their license.

The messages are followed by a link to pay your bill. Officials warn that message recipients should not click the link or engage with the messages.

While FasTrak is a legitimate transportation service out of California, the company said they will never request payment by text with a link to a website.

“The websites provided are fraudulent and are not related to FasTrak, so please do not use them to pay tolls. FasTrak does not request payment by text with a link to a website,” the company said in a statement on its website.

The FBI also issued a warning about the so-called smishing attempts and provided an outline for filing a complaint with its Internet Crime Complaint Center:

1. File a complaint with the IC3, www.ic3.gov, be sure to include:
   1. The phone number from where the text originated.
   2. The website listed within the text
2. Check your account using the toll service’s legitimate website.
3. Contact the toll service’s customer service phone number.
4. Delete any smishing texts received.
5. If you clicked any link or provided your information, take efforts to secure your personal information and financial accounts. Dispute any unfamiliar charges.

According to the FBI, smishing is a social engineering attack that uses fake text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or sending money to cyber criminals.

Bottom line: If you receive one of these texts, do not engage. If unsure, you should fully vet the message before clicking links or responding. The best option is to delete and/or report the message online.