LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – State officials have issued a warning to motorists in California after seeing a spike in text-based toll charge scams demanding payment.
The texts, according to a news release from State Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, claim drivers owe express lane or toll charges and are designed to trick recipients into following a link to what falsely appears to be a legitimate tolling agency website where they enter their banking or credit card information.
“Scammers have become skilled at imitating legitimate companies, sometimes even linking to legitimate websites,” AG Rob Bonta said. “Text-based toll charge scams are prevalent right now and knowing what to look for can keep consumers safe against these tactics.”
Authorities said that most of the text-based scams claim to be from FasTrak and link to a fraudulent website claiming to be operated by The Toll Roads.
FasTrak, the electronic toll collection system used on toll bridges, lanes and roads in California that allows drivers to electronically pay tolls without having to stop at toll booths, does not request payment by text with a link to a website, the release noted.