MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Tollway text scams are hitting people all over the country, but consumer protection experts say the scam is especially targeting Wisconsinites.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) recently issued a statewide alert following a spike in reports of the scam, according to DATCP’s Division of Trade and Consumer Protection Administrator Michelle Reinen.
“We were getting these phone calls from consumers and receiving these text messages ourselves,” Reinen said. “We knew something new was circulating that could target Wisconsin consumers to becoming victims to making payments.”
Eve Casta, who lives in Madison, said she receives these text messages almost daily. She called WMTV to alert more people about the scam.
“It’s annoying to me but it concerned me enough to call you because I can see other people falling for it,” Casta said.
WMTV employees shared dozens of the messages they received over the last few months. One of the most popular texts claims to be from the Wisconsin DMV, writing: “You have an outstanding toll.” The text goes on to say, “If you fail to pay you will be penalized or subject to legal action.”
Then, the text prompts consumers to click on a link to pay the outstanding toll. If you look closely, though, the link is fake and can lead to scammers downloading malware on your device or receiving your bank account information to make charges.
“It looks as though it is coming from EZ-PASS or Wisconsin DOT,” Reinen said. “But that is just a misrepresentation by the scammer, as those entities are not sending text messages.”
Wisconsin doesn’t have any tolls, so if you haven’t traveled recently, that should be a red flag. However, Reinen said she believes this scam is so popular right now due to spring break travel.
“We are on the border of a state that does have tolls, and consumers travel to the south an east for spring break, where there are also toll roads,” Reinen said.
So what should you do if you get a text message like this?
First, remember toll sensors don’t pick up phone numbers, unless you’ve already signed up online with your license plate.
“If f a consumer gets any form of text message demanding payment right away, they should disregard that,” Reinen said. “If they’re ever concerned that the situation could be legitimate, they can go back to the actual entity that they believe sent the message using their own reliable contact information to inquire if they do owe a payment.”
If you have traveled and think you might have a payment due, call the state’s tollway to confirm or go to their official website. Do not click on a link sent through text message.
The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin (BBB) recommends deleting the message.
“If you engage with it, the scammer knows that they have reached a working phone number and they’re going to scam you more,” Southwest Wisconsin Regional Director Tiffany Schultz said.
If you gave the scammer your personal information, Schultz said it is important to contact your credit card company in order to issue a new card. In addition, pull your credit reports to make sure no illegitimate charges have been made.
You can report scams through the BBB’s scam tracker or through the state’s consumer protection hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
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