Unpaid toll text scam floods U.S. phones with fake payment demands. Cybercriminals on Telegram run these scams, using fake payment URLs to steal victims’ personal information.
Victims receive a text message claiming they owe a small toll fee.
- A link to a fraudulent payment website is included in the email.
- Victims unintentionally reveal their money and personal information after clicking.
- Cybercriminals use phishing kits to create fake credit cards for Apple or Google Wallet and quickly steal data.
- Authorities in New York, Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana have issued warnings, while the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has logged over 60,000 reports of this scam.
Cybercriminals on Telegram Behind Unpaid toll text Scam
Investigations reveal a network of Chinese-speaking scammers using Telegram to sell “phish kits” that make these scams easy to deploy.
These kits enable con artists to mimic the main toll systems in the United States, such as:
FasTrak Bay Area E-ZPass
- GA’s Peach Pass
- Arkansas’s Pike Pass
- The GeauxPass in Louisiana
Researchers discovered that if one fraud is successful, others imitate it in a matter of days, demonstrating how rapidly these schemes change.
What Can Be Done?
- Do not click on links in unexpected toll-related text messages.
- Verify unpaid tolls by visiting your state’s official toll website directly.
- Watch for suspicious texts—phishing messages often contain typos or generic greetings.
- Report the scam to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Cybercriminals keep finding new ways to exploit people’s trust, making awareness and vigilance the best defenses.
Source: NBC News
