Did you get a text message demanding that you pay a toll bill within the next 48 hours using the payment link provided?
A phishing scam is going around that could put many Texans‘ personal information at risk. TxDOT and the Better Business Bureau have warned people to be aware of fake text messages asking them to pay unpaid toll fees.
If you’ve received any of these texts, here is what you need to know.
Even if someone has unpaid toll fees, Adam Hammons, TxDOT media relations director, said the agency does not send out notices through text about a past due bill notice.
According to TxDOT, there have been multiple reports of TxTag customers receiving text messages claiming to have a balance due or past due. These SMS text phishing scams are also known as smishing.
Here’s how to know you’re getting scammed:
If you’re getting weird texts and phone calls and numbers you don’t recognize, there could be smishing attempts to scam you.
Smishing is a form of phishing, the fraudulent practice of sending messages disguised as a reputable source to induce individuals to reveal personal and/or financial information, such as social security numbers, credit and debit card numbers, and account passwords.
Smishing, specifically, is done through text messaging.
A victim of smishing typically receives a deceptive text message from a scammer pretending to be a government agency, bank, or other institution, like the USPS.
If you believe you have received a deceptive message from a sender disguised as the USPS, report the message via email to spam@uspis.gov. Take the following steps to file a report:
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will contact you if further information is needed.
If you receive a smishing message unrelated to the USPS, forward the message to 7726 and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

source