FBI says don't be fooled by toll balance text scam

A new texting scam has hit Connecticut drivers, claiming they owe outstanding tolls and threatening late fees if they aren’t paid immediately.

FBI Special Agent Keith Custer said that more than 10,000 complaints have been submitted across the country about this new “smishing” scam aimed at obtaining users' login information.

Smishing occurs when a cybercriminal uses deceptive text messages to get the recipient to share information.

“Unfortunately, a lot of consumers and people out here are busy folks and there’s lots of websites that need usernames and passwords,” he said. “So those usernames and passwords are reused sometimes on their financial sites which is very dangerous.”

The text messages claim that the recipient owes a nominal fee and it includes a link to a website that looks like an official toll agency.

The FBI says the scammers’ main objective is credential harvesting. The scammers want recipients to click on the link and then they can then take consumers’ information and use it at financial institutions to gain access to banking information.

“The scammers will mimic legitimate websites using a lot of the same logos and graphics,” Custer said, “which are readily available to try to trick a consumer into attempting to log into the website.”

Here's an example of one of these texts that an NBC Connecticut colleague received:

Custer recommended that consumers be proactive, use unique usernames and passwords for their accounts, and set up two-factor authentication for their more sensitive financial information.

If you receive a text message like this do not click the link. Instead, go directly to the toll agency’s website to check for any outstanding balances.