Smishing, which is a portmanteau of “SMS” and “phishing,” is an internet scam where the scams text people in an effort to get them to reveal personal information or open unsafe links. Smishing toll scams with false toll payments have proliferated in the last year, texting frightened drivers that their tolls weren’t paid. This article covers what smishing is, how toll fraud works, and how to protect yourself.
What is smishing?
Smishing is a social engineering method through which cybercriminals send spoofed text messages to manipulate victims into performing unsafe activities, such as:
- Clicking on spurious links
- Sending sensitive or financial information
- Downloading malware onto their devices
The scams typically pose to be genuine institutions like banks, government agencies, or utilities. They employ emotional triggers like fear or sense of urgency to deceive victims into making quick decisions without verifying whether the message is genuine.
How toll smishing scams operate
Toll smishing scams are a type of smishing whereby spammers pose as toll collection agencies. Thieves send victims a text message informing them they are being billed for unpaid tolls. For instance, the following is an example message:
“(State Toll Service Name): We’ve identified an outstanding balance of $12.51 on your toll account. To avoid a late charge of $50.00, click on https://myturnpiketollservices.com to pay your balance.”
The message induces a sense of urgency by threatening late charges or legal action if the toll is not paid in a timely manner. The urgency leads victims to respond without questioning the authenticity of the message. The link directs victims to a duplicate site that is quite close to an original toll service site. Victims are asked to input sensitive information such as credit card information, user names and passwords, or even driver’s license9 on the site.
The data entered by the victim can then be exploited for fraud or identity theft. In other instances, the click installs malware on the victim’s computer.
Who is being targeted
These are being reported throughout the U.S., in Rhode Island, California, and New York. The FBI has indicated that these scams will tend to use local toll service names and modify phone numbers to make them appear real.
How to recognize toll smishing scams
It is with known signs of a smishing scam that you will be protected from being swindled:
- Urgency and threats: Pay now or face penalties are warning signs.
- Unrecognized numbers: Messages received through unknown or random numbers are to be suspected.
- Shady links: URLs that appear slightly unusual (e.g., typos in domains) are generally malicious.
- Soliciting private data: Authorized toll services never request private information through texts.
Protecting yourself
Protect yourself from toll smishing attempts with the following professional guidelines:
- Verify messages: Don’t ever click on links when you receive an unsolicited message about unpaid tolls. Go directly to your real toll service website or call their customer service.
- Delete suspicious texts: Never even respond to phishing messages. Reply can confirm that your number is live and initiate more targeting.
- Enable security features: Get antivirus software and enable multi-factor authentication on sensitive accounts to give extra layers of security.
- Monitor bank accounts: Be vigilant about monitoring bank statements for unusual activity if you feel you have been a victim of a scam.
- Report scams: Report the scams to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or at the local police station. Give details such as the phone number and web site stated in the text.
What to do if you are a victim
If you visited a phishing URL or entered confidential data:
- Lock down your accounts at once by changing your password.
- Check your financial transactions for anything unusual.
- Clean your gadget with good antivirus to wipe out malware.
- Report the incident to the authorities like IC3 or Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Toll smishing scams are also becoming clever with spammers employing the use of mobile phones and SMS by people. Precaution and the use of proper cybersecurity protocols can protect you from such cunning tricks.
Never forget this; if you get a suspicious SMS, verify its authenticity prior to acting on it. Your vigilance can save you from money loss and identity theft.
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