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by Mallory Allen, FOX 11 News
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(WLUK) — Many Wisconsin residents have been on the receiving end of an influx of scam text messages, claiming to come from a tolling agency collecting overdue fees.
As a result, officials are urging people to be on the lookout for suspicious texts and take caution to prevent themselves from falling victim. Here's how the scam works:
Scammers target consumers with "final reminder" messages about unpaid, overdue tolls. The texts may claim to be from E-ZPass, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, or the Division of Motor Vehicles.
These messages include a link to pay outstanding balances, saying if you don't send the money, you will be subject to penalties or legal action. If you click on the link, it will take you to an imposter toll payment portal on a website that looks legitimate, but is controlled by a scammer.
The goal is to get individuals to click on the fraudulent links and/or reveal personal information — which is known as a phishing scam. Clicking on the link could allow scammers to accessing your personal or financial information, and if you pay the scammer, you may lose your money.
It's important to remember that although some scams duplicate the look of official content, these texts are not from the DOT or DMV. Additionally, keep in mind that Wisconsin does not have tolls.
"The genesis of the scam, obviously, is unknown," said Mark Kantola, communication manager for WisDOT. "But if you do get a text from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation [or DMV] that says you owe money, it's fake."
Experts offer these tips to help identify phishing scams like the "outstanding toll" texts:
Click here to sign up for account activity alerts and renewal reminders by subscribing to Wisconsin DMV's eNotify. Like most bank accounts, you will receive confirmation of transactions on your account which alerts you of any fraudulent activities.
If you are the victim of a scam, you may: