![bigstock_Financial_Scam_52882237_1_.558c33e1925d5[1]](https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bigstock_Financial_Scam_52882237_1_.558c33e1925d5_1_.5e85f41857f72.png)
Maria Salette Ontiveros
The Dallas Morning News (TNS)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning about scams involving road toll payments being sent through text messages across the country, including Texas.
These scammers pretend to be toll agencies, sending messages about unpaid tolls and providing fraudulent payment links intended to steal personal and financial details from victims.
“The texts claim the recipient owes money for unpaid tolls and contain almost identical language, such as the ‘outstanding toll amount,’” the FBI said in a news release.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers are not only attempting to take your money but also your personal information, such as your driver’s license number, to potentially commit identity theft.
The text message says the recipient has outstanding tolls requiring immediate payment to prevent a fine. They often include a warning about the supposed bill and sometimes specify the amount owed.
However, when you click the link on the link from the text message, it is a phishing scam, leading to a fraudulent website.
The FBI started warning the public about this scam last year, noting that they had already received over 2,000 complaints at that time.
What to do?
The FTC advises what you can do to avoid a text scam like this:
•Verify the legitimacy of the text. Contact the North Texas Tollway Authority at 972-818-6882 or 817-731-6882, you can also visit their website at ntta.org/contact-us
•Avoid clicking on links or responding to unexpected texts.
•Report and remove unwanted text messages. Use your phone’s “report junk” feature to flag unwanted texts to your messaging app, or forward them to 7726(SPAM). After verifying and reporting the message, delete it from your phone.
Where to report it?
If you have received one of these texts, the FBI advises the following steps:
•File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Be sure to include a phone number and the website used in the text.
•Verify your account through the toll service’s website, delete any smishing texts, and secure personal and financial information if you’ve interacted with the link.
•You can also call the FBI’s fraud hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
—-
©2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Thanks for reading CPA Practice Advisor!
Subscribe Already registered? Log In
Need more information? Read the FAQs
