Why having identity theft protection is so important
Identity theft is probably one of the most costly things that can happen to you, especially if you leave it unresolved for a while.
A simple two-sentence text has been popping up on people’s smart phones this year, informing them they owe money for previous trips along the Pennsylvania Turnpike — even if they haven’t driven on the toll road.
“To prevent further fees totaling $106.00, please settle the due amount of $10.60,” one text read, before listing a website where the person could supposedly pay the overdue bill.
Advertisement
It’s a scam. The texts are not coming from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and some of the people who receive them have never traveled on the turnpike.
If you click on the link, it will take you to a bogus website that asks for your credit card information in order to steal your identity, said Crispin Havener, a Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman.
The problem started in March when residents in Illinois began receiving the texts, supposedly from the Illinois Tollway. Scammers illegally obtained random lists of phone numbers, then sent texts to those numbers claiming to be from a particular state’s toll or turnpike commission, depending on the area codes, Havener said.
“It’s not a security breach,” Havener said. “There are no issues with our customer accounts.”
Advertisement
What is smishing?
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials call it “smishing” because the cybercriminals use short message service, or SMS, to go “phishing” for people’s credit card information.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 2,000 complaints from at least three different states in the month after these texts first appeared on people’s smart phones.
“We saw that initial batch of texts in March and April, then last month we received a new bunch of complaints, and people seem to be receiving them again now,” Havener said.
What should I do if I get one of these texts?
Anyone who receives one of these texts should following these steps, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center:
Advertisement
File a complaint with the center at www.ic3.gov.
Check your account using the toll service’s legitimate website. In Pennsylvania, it’s www.paturnpike.com/e-zpass.
Contact the toll service’s customer service phone number. In Pennsylvania, it’s 877-736-6727.
Delete any smishing texts received.
If you clicked any link or provided your information, take efforts to secure your personal information and financial accounts. Dispute any unfamiliar charges.
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X@ETNBruce.
FILE – Powerball logo displayed on a phone screen and coins are seen in this illustration photo.
PHILADELPHIA – A Powerball ticket sold in Pennsylvania matched five numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, winning $1 million, according to lottery officials.
What we know:
Advertisement
The Pennsylvania ticket was one of several nationwide that matched all five white balls. The ticket did not include the Power Play multiplier.
Because no one matched all six numbers, the Powerball jackpot continues to climb. The next drawing will feature an estimated $1.5 billion jackpot, with a cash option of $689.3 million.
Advertisement
Winning numbers (Dec. 17, 2025)
25 – 33 – 53 – 62 – 66
Powerball: 17
Power Play: 4x
The Pennsylvania Lottery has not yet announced where the winning ticket was sold.
What’s next:
Advertisement
The next Powerball drawing takes place Saturday night, Dec. 20. The estimated jackpot is an astounding $1.5 billion.
The Source: This article is based on official Powerball drawing results.
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
Advertisement
SC
“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
Advertisement
However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
