Getting texts about unpaid tolls? It's probably a scam. Here's how to keep your info safe.
A common scam tactic is back and affecting Ohioans.
Over the past few weeks, many Ohioans have received text messages saying they have unpaid road tolls and will face penalties or legal action if they go unpaid. Some of these messages even include a link to a fake payment site.
These messages come from scammers looking to extract payment and personal information from Ohioans, according to the FTC.
The Ohio Turnpike started a new E-ZPass toll collection system in April 2024, allowing customers with passes to drive through the toll road without stopping.
The new system also brought more toll scam messages to the state. The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission released a fact sheet in August warning Ohioans of the text message scams. It also suspended all late fees, collections and vehicle registration holds for unpaid tolls to give drivers a grace period to adjust to the new toll system.
That grace period came to an end in February. The turnpike started issuing late fees for unpaid tolls on Feb. 3 and started sending unpaid tolls to the Ohio Attorney General's office for collection on Feb. 10.
Unpaid toll invoices are sent by mail, not by text message. Complicating the matter is the fact that Reliant Capital Solutions, LLC—a debt collector for the Ohio Attorney General's Office—will send texts about unpaid toll debt.
If you receive a message about unpaid toll debt, here are some steps the FTC recommends.
Don't click on any linksor respond to unexpected texts. Scammers rely on creating a sense of urgency, so take your time to make sure it's real.
Check to see if the text is legit. Reach out to the state's tolling agency using a phone number or website you know is real — not the information from the text. The Ohio Turnpike's website is www.ohioturnpike.org and its E-ZPass website is www.ezpassoh.com. Its phone number is (440) 971-2222.
Report and delete unwanted text messages. Use your phone's 'report junk' option to report unwanted texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM). Delete the text once it's been reported.
If you are victimized by one of these scams, contact the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and be sure to include the phone number the text came from and the website included in the text. If you clicked the link or made a payment, secure your financial accounts and personal information and dispute any unexpected charges, according to the FBI.
NHart@dispatch.com
@NathanRHart
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Unpaid toll text message scam: How to keep your data safe from scammers
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