APPLETON (NBC 26) — If you pull out your phone right now, chances are you’ve got a text or two from an unknown number threatening monetary or legal action against you for unpaid tolls.
Even if you report it as junk, it feels like the texts just keep coming.
- FTC warns of rising text scams claiming unpaid tolls, urging caution
- Scammers use “smishing” tactics to steal banking and personal information
- Cybersecurity expert says never click links—verify legitimacy first
- Victims are urged to report scam texts and numbers to law enforcement
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Attorney Kimberly Soule says she receives about one to three of these texts per day.
“Obviously, I know I haven’t been through a toll in several years, so I know it’s inaccurate,” Soule said.
Yet, she still gets messages telling her she has tolls left unpaid.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, millions of Americans have received similar texts. In a statement, the agency described how the scam works:
“The scammy text might show a dollar amount for how much you supposedly owe and include a link that takes you to a page to enter your bank or credit card info—but it’s a smishing scam.”
To learn more, I spoke with Michael Patton, director of the Cybersecurity Center for Excellence at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
“Smishing stands for SMS phishing, or simple messaging system phishing,” Patton explained. “So their real goal at that point is stealing your money straight from your account."
Patton says if you receive a text about an unpaid toll, do not click any links.
Instead, report the text and phone number to law enforcement.
But the real question many people have is, are there any ways to stop these texts for good?
“No. Nope, in fact, it's only going to get worse because we are becoming ever more digitized. You know, we interact with so many entities who don't know us—they only know us from our digital presence,” Patton emphasized.
The FBI urges anyone who may have fallen victim to a phishing scam to call authorities immediately or report it online here.
