If You Received This Kind Of Text Recently, Do NOT Click On The Link

You may have been briefly alarmed recently by receiving a text message saying you have an unpaid toll fee, and that if you don’t address the bill promptly you may receive “excessive late fees” — and who wants that?

But, thankfully, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning cell phone users that a text message like this is likely a scam.

While unpaid toll fee text scams have been around for a while, more and more people on social media lately have been reporting that they’ve been hit with a mysterious message requesting money to settle an outstanding toll fee. The text might read something like this: “Your vehicle has an unpaid toll bill. To avoid excessive late fees on your bill, please settle it promptly. Thank you for your cooperation!”

But the FTC published an article on its website last month cautioning that bad actors have been sending texts demanding money by “pretending to be tolling agencies from coast to coast.” The text, which usually includes a link and a request for a relatively small fee, is more than likely a phishing scam. The links in the texts typically invite recipients to enter their bank, credit card or driver’s license information, the agency warns.

And the minimal fee amount presented in the messages is intentional. Amy Nofziger, the director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network, previously explained to HuffPost that a larger dollar amount, perhaps thousands of dollars, is more obviously a scam, whereas a nominal fee may catch people off-guard.

Officials across multiple states have been warning people about this scam. Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares, whose own office recently faced a cyberattack, warned Virginians of the unpaid toll fee text scam in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.

The New York Police Department’s 19th Precinct similarly released a statement on X earlier this week warning New Yorkers not to click any links in texts asking for unpaid toll money.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a statement last year saying that its Internet Crime Complaint Center had received over 2,000 complaints from people who received the unpaid toll text scam.

The FBI recommends that if you receive a message like this, you should double check whether you actually have an outstanding toll balance by visiting the toll service’s legitimate website and checking your account standing there.

While some states may inform people about outstanding fees via text, Nofziger previously told HuffPost that the majority of notices are sent by mail.

The FBI also recommends that you contact the legitimate toll service by their customer service number and file a complaint with the FBI at www.ic3.gov.

The agency warns that you should not click on any links in the texts, and that you should delete the messages altogether. If you did click a link, and if you provided any personal information, you should monitor your financial accounts and dispute any unfamiliar charges.

You can also place fraud alert notices — a free service — on any of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Receiving text messages about outstanding balances can be nerve-wracking, but as a good practice, it’s important to not react, or click, right away. Always check the legitimate website of the service that’s purportedly requesting money. Stay informed and talk to your friends and family members about the mysterious texts you’re receiving — you may help someone else avoid getting scammed.