Fraud alert: Toll scam hits PA and NJ drivers — Don’t click that link!

💲The smishing scam has been around since April

💲The scammer's goal is to get the recipient to click on the links

💲The PA and NJ turnpike agencies will never ask for payment via text

A new message claiming to be a collections agency working for the Pennsylvania Turnpike is the latest twist in the ongoing "smishing scam" being texted to random phones.

The ultimate goal of the scam is to entice a user to click on a link and collect the banking and personal information shared by the user. The new message states that the recipient has an "unpaid toll invoice" and seeks payment by a current date to "avoid a late ticket."

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said never to click on links in any text messages or emails claiming to be from a toll agency.

You clicked on a link - now what?

Those who receive a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. That is a site dedicated to sharing information on Internet crimes across law enforcement agencies.

The "smishing" scam, which incorporates SMS, the technical term for a text, has been around since April. Despite widespread coverage of the scam, new forms continue to surface.

Both the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission have said that he texts have been sent to random numbers regardless of whether or not it's connected to an E-ZPass account.

What if you click on a link in these messages?

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises the following actions:

✅ Check your personal E-ZPass account online to verify account balances and other personal information

✅ If you clicked any link or provided your information, make efforts to secure your personal information and financial accounts

✅ Dispute any unfamiliar charges

✅ Consider credit monitoring

✅ Report any suspicious activity to the police

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