Is TXTag texting you about an unpaid toll bill? How to know if you're being scammed
Did you get a text message demanding that you pay a toll bill within 48 hours or less using the payment link provided?
A phishing scam is going around that could put many Texans' personal information at risk. TxDOT and the Better Business Bureau have warned people to be aware of fake text messages asking them to pay unpaid toll fees.
If you've received any of these texts, here is what you need to know.
Even if someone has unpaid toll fees, Adam Hammons, TxDOT media relations director, said the agency does not send out notices through text about a past due bill notice.
According to TxDOT, there have been multiple reports of TxTag customers receiving text messages claiming to have a balance due or past due. These SMS text phishing scams are also known as smishing.
Here's how to know you're getting scammed:
While TxTag currently communicates with customers via email, text, and outbound phone calls, it will not send text messages regarding final payment reminders or past-due balances. Any text messages sent to TxTag customers will be sent from 22498.
If a customer receives a phone call, email or text message they believe may be a scam, they should contact TxTag customer service directly at TxTag.org or by calling 1-888-468-9824.
Anyone who believes they have received a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
If you're getting weird texts and phone calls and numbers you don't recognize, there could be smishing attempts to scam you.
Smishing is a form of phishing, the fraudulent practice of sending messages disguised as a reputable source to induce individuals to reveal personal and/or financial information, such as social security numbers, credit and debit card numbers, and account passwords.
Smishing, specifically, is done through text messaging.
A victim of smishing typically receives a deceptive text message from a scammer pretending to be a government agency, bank, or other institution, like the USPS.
If you believe you have received a deceptive message from a sender disguised as the USPS, report the message via email to spam@uspis.gov. Take the following steps to file a report:
Without clicking the link, copy the body of the message and paste it into a new email.
Attach a screenshot of the text message showing the sender's phone number and the date the message was sent.
Include your first and last name in the email.
Include any other relevant details. For example, if you clicked the link and provided personal or financial information or lost money, share these details.
Forward the text message to 7726 (SPAM).
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will contact you if further information is needed.
If you receive a smishing message unrelated to the USPS, forward the message to 7726 and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Getting texts about TXTag toll bills? How to know if it's a scam
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Postal service van runs over and kills 84-year-old man who went outside to check his mail
A postal service van ran over and killed an elderly man when he went outside to check his mail, police say. James Hofler, an 84-year-old Navy veteran from North Carolina, was crossing the street to check his mailbox when he was struck by a USPS mail delivery truck, The News & Observer reported, citing a police press release. The Kill Devil Hills Police Department said Amy Hudler, 53, who was operating the 'Mercedes-Benz mail carrier vehicle owned by the United States Postal Service,' backed into Hofler. Hudler called emergency services and stayed at the scene, police said. It happened on a Monday afternoon, May 19, in Kill Devil Hills, a town on the Outer Banks. Holfer was taken to two hospitals before he died from his injuries three days later on May 22. Hudler has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. The Independent has reached out to the Postal Service for comment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Jury Awards $9.45 Million to Man Injured at Dallas' Hotel Crescent Court
The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson exposes failures in guest safety protocols DALLAS, June 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A Dallas County jury has awarded $9.45 million to a man who suffered a serious fall at Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas' Uptown district. The verdict comes after a week-long trial in the 162nd Judicial District Court, where jurors heard evidence that the hotel failed to secure or warn guests about a dangerous condition in its courtyard that led to a guest's fall. "Hotel operators failed to provide minimum lighting required by building codes and failed to take basic steps to warn or protect guests from a very real hazard," said trial lawyer Tim Newsom with The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson. "We are pleased that the jury held the hotel accountable for choosing to protect their property over guest safety." Attorneys Debbie Dudley Branson and Linda Yee Villa tried the case alongside Mr. Newsom. According to the lawsuit, James Shelton McClure, 74, and his wife were guests at the hotel while seeking refuge during the historic Winter Storm Uri, which brought record-low temperatures across the state and left millions of Texans without electricity. The attorneys say the incident occurred in the early morning hours of March 6, 2021. While the McClures were walking their dog in the hotel's courtyard, Mr. McClure unknowingly stepped into an empty fountain basin that sits level with the concrete surface. The basin, approximately two feet deep, had been drained of water due to the freezing conditions. The petition says the area was unlit, and there were no cones, barriers or warning signs indicating the presence of the drop-off. As a result of the fall, Mr. McClure suffered serious orthopedic and neurological injuries. He underwent four surgeries for a broken ankle, ultimately requiring a total replacement. The fall also aggravated a pre-existing neck condition, leading to nerve damage to his dominant hand. The case is James Shelton McClure and Madeline McClure v. Hotel Crescent Court, et al., Cause No. DC-22-05954 in Dallas County. About The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, hospital and medical negligence, and truck and auto catastrophic injury. To learn more about the firm, visit View source version on Contacts Alyssa Woulfe800-559-4534alyssa@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Business Wire
Jury Awards $9.45 Million to Man Injured at Dallas' Hotel Crescent Court
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A Dallas County jury has awarded $9.45 million to a man who suffered a serious fall at Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas' Uptown district. The verdict comes after a week-long trial in the 162nd Judicial District Court, where jurors heard evidence that the hotel failed to secure or warn guests about a dangerous condition in its courtyard that led to a guest's fall. 'Hotel operators failed to provide minimum lighting required by building codes and failed to take basic steps to warn or protect guests from a very real hazard,' said trial lawyer Tim Newsom with The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson. 'We are pleased that the jury held the hotel accountable for choosing to protect their property over guest safety.' Attorneys Debbie Dudley Branson and Linda Yee Villa tried the case alongside Mr. Newsom. According to the lawsuit, James Shelton McClure, 74, and his wife were guests at the hotel while seeking refuge during the historic Winter Storm Uri, which brought record-low temperatures across the state and left millions of Texans without electricity. The attorneys say the incident occurred in the early morning hours of March 6, 2021. While the McClures were walking their dog in the hotel's courtyard, Mr. McClure unknowingly stepped into an empty fountain basin that sits level with the concrete surface. The basin, approximately two feet deep, had been drained of water due to the freezing conditions. The petition says the area was unlit, and there were no cones, barriers or warning signs indicating the presence of the drop-off. As a result of the fall, Mr. McClure suffered serious orthopedic and neurological injuries. He underwent four surgeries for a broken ankle, ultimately requiring a total replacement. The fall also aggravated a pre-existing neck condition, leading to nerve damage to his dominant hand. The case is James Shelton McClure and Madeline McClure v. Hotel Crescent Court, et al., Cause No. DC-22-05954 in Dallas County. About The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, hospital and medical negligence, and truck and auto catastrophic injury. To learn more about the firm, visit
