Have you ever received a text like this?
Chances are, you have, whether you've driven through a toll recently or not. It warns you with a "final reminder" of outstanding toll fees that will be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles, or met with fines, even legal action... but how accurate is that?
It should come as no surprise that these are usually phishing scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies from coast to coast, sending these texts demanding your hard-earned money. Not only that, but if you click the link attached to the text, they could gain access to your personal data, such as your driver's license number and banking information. Simply put, it's a recipe for identity theft.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Here are some tips:
- Don't click on any links or respond to unexpected texts. Scammers thrive on people who panic.
- Investigate, especially before sending any money. You can check the legitimacy of texts like these by reaching out to the state's tolling agency through a phone number or website you know is real — not what was sent to you in the text. Louisiana's is GeauxPass, managed by the Department of Transportation and Development.
- Report and delete any and all unwanted texts.
- Review privacy settings on your devices. Experts say, chances are, your information reached the hands of these scammers through a data leak or what you've shared on social media.
What about if you've already fallen for a phishing scam? Here are some things you can do, according to the FTC.
- Contact your bank immediately and let them know.
- Report any lost money as a crime to the non-emergency line of your local authorities.
- Report any instances of fraud to the FTC here.
- Keep a timeline of events for future reports.
- Practice good password hygiene. Update your online passwords to make them more complicated and ensure they are not similar to those you use on other sites.
