Latest news with #TxTag
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Did you get an email from an Indiana government agency about unpaid tolls? It's a scam.
A former email provider for the State of Indiana has been hacked and is sending fraudulent toll road scam emails, the Indiana Office of Technology confirmed in a statement on the morning of May 13. "The Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) is aware of fraudulent messages purportedly sent by state agencies about collecting tolls," the statement said. "These messages are scams, and users should not click on any of the links." Here's what we know. No, you will never receive unpaid toll notifications via text or email you received an email from what appears to be a legitimate government office asking for unpaid toll information, the Indiana Office of Technology urges you to avoid clicking on any of the links. The newest Indiana toll scam emails may look like they are being sent from a legitimate Indiana government agency including: Indiana Department of Correction Indiana Department of Child Services Indiana Department of Natural Resources Indiana Emergency Operations Center Indiana Department of Transportation Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Indiana Arts Commission The email address may also look legitimate. For example, a fraudulent email from the Family and Social Services Administration was sent from the email address fssa@ It was once an email the department used through another company, but service has since been discontinued. The account with access to these former government email addresses has been hacked, the Indiana Office of Technology said. "The State of Indiana's contract with this company ended on 12/31/24, but they did not remove the State's account," the statement said. "A contractor's account was hacked and used to send those messages." This is why they appear to be from legitimate email addresses for government offices, but are indeed fraudulent. More on toll road scams: The Indiana Toll Road won't text you to collect payment. Don't fall for the latest smishing scheme The subject line will read some variation of "TxTag Account Suspension Warning." In the body of the message, it will say something along the lines of "You have unpaid toll fees. Failure to pay may result in penalties" and include a link to pay. It is crucial that you do not click the link or provide your payment information. The email is signed off by "TxTag Customer Service," which helps you identify that the email is not actually from the department it claims to be. You will never receive unpaid toll notifications via text or email messages in the state of Indiana. Especially not from the Department of Natural Resources or Child Services. No; the state of Indiana does not send unpaid toll notifications via text or email messages. At the time of publication, the Indiana Office of Technology is not aware of any current state systems being compromised. More on toll road scams: Indianapolis is one of the top cities receiving toll road scam texts in the United States Katie Wiseman covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Contact her at klwiseman@ Follow her on Bluesky @katiewiseman. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Will government offices email me about unpaid tolls? No, they are a scam
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
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 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 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@ 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
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Did you get a text about unpaid Texas toll bill? FBI says to delete these smishing texts
Did you get a text message demanding that you pay a toll bill within the next 48 hours using the payment link provided? The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning of a phishing scam going around that could put many Texans' personal information at risk. TxDOT and the Better Business Bureau have also 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. The FBI is alerting smartphone users in the U.S. to remove deceptive text messages that seem to originate from toll road services, delivery companies, and government agencies. These recent smishing scams — phishing attacks via SMS — have exploited over 10,000 newly registered domains, using fraudulent payment requests to obtain personal and financial information. According to the FBI, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has received over 2,000 complaints related to fraudulent toll payment messages. The text says you owe money on an outstanding balance and you have a day to pay it off. It then asks you to click the link to make a payment to avoid late fees. 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 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 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@ 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: FBI warns iPhone, Android users to delete smishing texts
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Don't click that link! TxDOT warns of toll bill scam texts targeting Texans
Did you get a text message demanding that you pay a toll bill within the next 48 hours 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 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 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@ 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: What are smishing attacks? TxDOT warns Texans of toll bill scam texts
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Received a suspicious TxTag toll bill text? Here's how to report it
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Received a fishy-looking text claiming you have unpaid toll fees? You aren't alone — but there are ways you can report it to state and federal leaders. Both the Texas Department of Transportation and federal agencies are tracking upticks in fraudulent text messages targeting toll customers. TxDOT first began tracking the fake texts last spring before reporting a surge in them in September. In a social media post last week, officials said they're aware of 'continued scams targeting TxTag customers,' encouraging people to report the fake messages to TxTag's customer service line by calling 1-888-468-9824. RELATED: Rise in phishing attempts targeting Texas, US toll customers KXAN reported earlier this month the Federal Trade Commission was also investigating the suspicious messages, dubbed a 'smishing' attempt — or phishing efforts sent via text message. Those texts can not only lead to unsuspecting victims sending along money but clicking the included links can also result in stolen personal information. The Better Business Bureau released a warning in January about the toll road collection service impersonations, with the agency's BBB Sam Tracker being inundated by reports of the text messages. To avoid falling for a fraudulent text, the BBB put out the following recommendations: Confirm your outstanding toll balances by directly going to the agency's legitimate website, logging in and verifying the account's standing Watch for suspicious text indicators, like an out-of-country area code or misspellings Never click on links or files included in texts randomly sent to you Do not provide personal information like your birthdate, driver's license number, social security number or other details Those wishing to report suspicious texts can file a claim with BBB Scam Tracker as well as with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
