Janice R. Andrews
A new scam that targets vehicles on toll roads has prompted a joint warning from the FBI and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Known by the term “smishing,” this scam uses text messages instead of the more common emails and webpages to trick people.
Administrator of VDOT’s Tolling Operations Division David Caudill underlined the risk of opening links included in these bogus SMS, as they frequently take receivers to harmful websites designed to steal personal data.
At least one listener has reportedly received a scam text allegedly from “Virginia Toll Services,” an imaginary company. Although there haven’t been any reports of these scams in Virginia, over 2,000 complaints have been made to VDOT by states that are close by, including North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
The FBI has sent a warning, asking people to be cautious and watchful of these false messages. An FBI example shows how con artists try to fool victims into paying fake toll balances, frequently with the threat of late fines.
VDOT cautions people not to click on links included in text messages about toll balances and to always confirm toll-related messages through legitimate channels like the Toll Roads in Virginia .
Authorities warn residents to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center if they suspect they have been targeted, even though the scam has not yet had a substantial impact on Virginia residents.
