Credit: FTC
By Andrew Rayo, Consumer Education Specialist

January 17, 2025

Whether you’ve driven through a toll recently or not, you might’ve gotten a text saying you owe money for unpaid tolls. It’s probably a scam. Scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies from coast to coast and sending texts demanding money. Learn how the scam works so you can avoid it.

You get a text out of the blue that says you have unpaid tolls and need to pay immediately. The scammy text might show a dollar amount for how much you supposedly owe and include a link that takes you to a page to enter your bank or credit card info — but it’s a phishing scam. Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info (like your driver’s license number) — and even steal your identity.

To avoid a text scam like this:

• Don’t click on any links in,or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.
• 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 info from the text.
• 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). Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the text.

KTA ALERTS CUSTOMERS OF SMISHING SCAM

Credit: Kansas Turnpike Authority
September 17, 2024

WICHITA, Kan.— The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) was alerted Tuesday afternoon of a text message-based scam, known as smishing, that is using the name of DriveKS, the new Kansas toll payment system.

The text message includes a photo (above) with the DriveKS logo and states that outstanding balances need to be paid to avoid additional fees.

Things for customers to be aware of:

• Do not click links or use the URL provided in unsolicited text messages.
• KTA does not send unsolicited text messages. All text messages require customer sign-up through their DriveKS account or for roadway incident alerts.
• KTA does not charge fees such as those mentioned in the text messages.
• KTA does not send text messages for toll payment.

The targeted phone numbers seem to be chosen at random and are not uniquely associated with a toll account or use of toll roads. Smishing scams of other varieties have been reported by toll agencies across the country since early April causing the FBI to issue a public service announcement about the fraudulent SMS texting campaign.

Customers who receive an unsolicited text, suggesting it is from the KTA or another toll agency, should not click the link. Rather they are encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. This site is dedicated to sharing information on internet crimes across law enforcement agencies.