Smishing Scams by text messages

[themechanic]

FBI warns of dangerous new ‘smishing' scam targeting your phone
Learn how you can protect yourself from smishing scams
By Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report Fox News
Published March 15, 2025

FBI warns of dangerous new ‘smishing' scam targeting your phone

Hackers have set up over 10,000 fake websites to keep smishing scams going and target both iPhone and Android users with texts. Kurt the CyberGuy shares how to defend yourself.

www.foxnews.com

 

[themechanic]

A few days after a recent trip to Tulsa last month via the turnpike I received a text message about paying my toll online. It looked legit until I followed the link and saw the amount was under $5. Fortunately for me, I had already received my toll bill from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority showing the correct amount. OTA switched last year from toll booths and cash payments for those without a prepaid Pike Pass to Plate Pay that takes a picture of the vehicle and it's license plate then mails a bill.

I tried reporting to the OTA but failed due to their funky online reporting system that didn't let me report the incident.

Beware!

 

[Cranky]

I do no commerce using my phone....so anything I get in a text message about paying a past due toll bill gets file 13ed as soon as I get it and that goes for any other past due bills showing up on my phone.

 

[khryslerkid]

Same thing is happening in Pa. People receive text messages from the Pa turnpike. Thing is the Turnpike never sends text messages.

Most of these messages have been from Canada.

 

[WileE]

I do no commerce using my phone....so anything I get in a text message about paying a past due toll bill gets file 13ed as soon as I get it and that goes for any other past due bills showing up on my phone.

 

[WileE]

I follow a simple rule. Unless your NAME comes up on my phone, I DON'T answer. If it's legit and important, leave a message. Same goes for text. I never reply to a text from an unknown, it gets deleted.

 

[BDnFL]

I got the same text here in Florida.
Had to think twice as I rarely use the pass but I recently took a trip to a car show using the turnpike. Then I remembered that you can pay by plate if you have no pass.

 

[Daves69]

Got the toll scams twice in the last two months. I just delete them and report as spam.

 

[440 4 speed]

Same thing is happening in Pa. People receive text messages from the Pa turnpike. Thing is the Turnpike never sends text messages.

Most of these messages have been from Canada.

Those damm Canucks at it again. I would think East of the Mississippi

 

[XS22J8R]

I get very few in the way of scammy texts. One funny thing though, in election season I get some texts from people supporting candidates 180° opposed to my political leanings.
"Hi, This is Cassidy, will you join me in voting for Crooked Loser for congress on November 5th?"
I do have fun responding to them though. "Heck no, what kind of idiot do you think I am that I would ever vote for that corrupt POS?????"
I am not sure how my phone number got into a database of area marxists but whatever.
Speaking of databases. I do get spam emails pretty much daily about paypal and geek squad purchases. Someone in the Dark Web guessed wrong on my name though, so most of them are easy to ID as spam since they are addressed to Johnson Brads. Not even close, so thanks to that Dark Web misfit for screwing up their info on me that they sell to criminals.
Maybe Johnson can be my new nickname!

 

[68BabyBlue]

Same thing is happening in Pa. People receive text messages from the Pa turnpike. Thing is the Turnpike never sends text messages.

Most of these messages have been from Canada.

Just got mine a couple hours ago. Haven't used the pike since September, and had the EZ pass fully funded.

 

[Photon440]

I also had a toll scam on my phone recently, saying I had an overdue toll for Highway 407. I haven't been in Ontario for about twenty years, and never drove a car on that highway.

 

[WileE]

Someone in the Dark Web guessed wrong on my name though, so most of them are easy to ID as spam since they are addressed to Johnson Brads. Not even close, so thanks to that Dark Web misfit for screwing up their info on me that they sell to criminals.
Maybe Johnson can be my new nickname!

Tell them your name is Hugh Johnson.

 

[XS22J8R]

I'm just happy they address their spam to a wrong name. Makes life easy I don't need to even think about if much of the spam I get might be something legit!
I have resisted opening venmo or zelle, or even banking apps on my phone. I feel like all these conveniences where you can do everything on your phone, just open the door to scammers. I may be wrong, but I like to think not living much by apps acts as a firewall. Life until 10 or 15 years ago was far safer from crime until everyone got smart phones!
I hear about armed thugs stealing phones and demanding passwords and access codes to get at your money apps so they can drain your accounts, if they try that on me, they will probably shoot me though, since there is no way to get access to any accounts off my phone which no doubt would piss off any thug!

 

[RR Fan Dan]

I never respond to emails or texts about owing money. Automatic delete for me every time. Nobody legitimately emails or texts a bill, nobody! Plus I know what my bills are and as far as ez pass goes they sent toll violations in the mail, ask me how I know.

 

[Nutso]

I also had the toll scam texts. Sneaky!!

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

Tell them your name is Hugh Johnson.

No, no, it’s Hugh Jorgan or Amanda Hugankiss