‘Smishing’ scam targets people who drive on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and some who don’t

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.

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.”

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:

• 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.