MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Scam text messages are taking a toll on all of us. They are bogus offers to buy your home, requests to pick up packages and even sign up for insurance.
It’s any reason to get you to click a link so they can wipe you out – and now they’re targeting your travels.
The spring travel season is sending scammers into overdrive by sending bogus text messages demanding you cough up cash for unpaid tolls.
Barbara Langston lives in Memphis and woke up to one earlier this month.
“I just got upset that someone would be trying to bother me early in the morning like that,” said Langston. “It was saying if you didn’t pay this toll fee it could turn into a warrant that could get my arrest, and that immediately made me more angry.”
She was angry enough to report it to the Better Business Bureau.
“I know it’s not true and no, you’re not going to be playing with my nerves and emotions like this,” said Langston. “[And money], yes and my sleep time, my rest.”
The text messages mimic real toll services like Sunpass in Florida, the Georgia Peach Pass or the EZ Drive in Massachusetts.
“First, I was a little shaky and then I got mad because I know I don’t even go on the Memphis I40’s or freeways here,” said Langston.
“There are no toll roads near us but there’s some confusion. A lot of people travel, a lot of people have moved here from out of state, so there’s a level of uncertainty and scammers use that and play it against us,” said Daniel Irwin with the BBB.
Daniel Irwin works for the Better Business Bureau. So far this year they’ve received at least 14 reports and as many as 40 phone calls from people complaining about the toll texts. At least one person fell for it – and sent money.
“This person paid the toll or fine. I think it was like $3 but she had numerous charges on her credit card when she looked at it afterwards,” said Irwin.
The Better Business Bureau put out this scam alert back in January.
The Federal Trade Commission followed up too advising people not to click on links and instead – look up the legit toll company and call the number listed to see if you really owe any money.
“For instance, if they say it’s easy pass you want to look up their number, independently, go to their website and just make sure that communication is legitimate,” said Irwin. “If you click on the link, it’s going to eventually ask for your personal information but it also could possibly install something on your phone that you don’t want on there.”
The Arkansas Attorney General calls it a smishing scam – a combination of “SMS” – or texts – and phishing.
State investigators said they’ve seen an uptick since the winter travel season – and are asking anyone who receives one to fill out this robo reporting form.
With enough complaints the AG says they may be able to go after whoever’s behind sending the texts!
“You may be thinking to yourself it’s $2, I’m going to go ahead and pay it, but again, the risk isn’t that $2. It’s that they’ve gotten your credit card or debit card number and just going to make all kinds of charges on it,” said Irwin. “Obviously this is a scam, but keep in mind they wouldn’t be doing it if people weren’t falling for it.”
Langston is not one of them.
“How dare you, it’s just a ball face lie. How could you? I just didn’t take well to that,” said Langston. “I try to keep up on my bills and stuff like that with my little income.”
Langston is encouraging more people to come forward. “The more people report it, I think the more it’ll back off. It gets investigated and they can just do something about it.”
Again, if you get one of these texts – don’t click the link…and reach out to the legitimate toll agency to see if you owe anything.
Here are more tips on how to avoid these messages. You can also find the Robocall Reporting Form, if you live in Arkansas here.
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