Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert alerting Floridians to a worrying new “smishing scam” that targets drivers as she was present at a toll plaza in Orlando Thursday alongside the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of Transportation.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, scammers are reportedly using fake text messages to trick people into thinking they have outstanding toll costs and are offering links to pay off the supposed debts.
These links, however, are harmful and intended to defraud victims of their money. Users of E-ZPass are also being targeted by these scams.
Read: Pointing To Federal Law, Florida AG Ashley Moody Calls For Removal Of Pro-Hamas Student Visas
Ten phony websites were recently taken down by Attorney General Moody’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit in collaboration with FDLE.
“Cybercriminals are sending text messages to thousands of unsuspecting drivers in the hopes that some of them will be tricked into paying a toll fee for a violation that never occurred. While this smishing scam is happening across the nation, our Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit worked closely with FDLE to shut down 10 fraudulent sites designed to mimic the official SunPass website and steal payments from drivers who received their fake text messages,” said Moody.
“FDLE agents believe there could be hundreds of victims in Florida who received a fraudulent text message saying they owed money to SunPass. FDLE’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit was able to quickly seize the fraudulent websites, stopping the victimization. Thanks to Attorney General Ashley Moody, FDLE has the investigative resources and expertise to move quickly when it matters most,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Deputy Commissioner Vaden Pollard.
Read: Florida AG Ashley Moody Demands Congress ‘Defund’ Hamas-Tied UNRWA
While the authentic Sun Pass web address is SunPass.com, the smishing messages direct targets to fraudulent URLs set up to mimic the official sight. Attorney General Moody’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit recently shut down 10 of these fraudulent sites listed below:
- sunpass-service.com
- sunpass-help.com
- sunpass-online.com
- sunpass-florida.com
- sunpass-toll.com
- sunpass-tolls.com
- sunpass-express.com
- service-sunpass.com
- tolls-sunpass.com
- web-sunpass.com
Florida is particularly susceptible to this emerging threat as it is home to the most toll roads of any state in the nation—more than 700 miles. These roads are necessary to help the 22 million Florida residents and 130 million Florida visitors get to destinations safely and on time.
Attorney General Moody offers the following tips to Floridians to avoid toll smishing scams:
- Avoid Clicking Links: Refrain from clicking on any links provided in unsolicited messages, especially those claiming to be from SunPass, E-ZPass or FDOT;
- Verify the Source: Independently confirm the information by contacting FDOT or SunPass using contact information found on an official organization’s website;
- Check Account Status: Regularly check an online toll account to add an extra layer of protection;
- Protect Personal Information: Do not provide personal or financial information in response to unsolicited messages, emails or phone calls; and
- Register Phone Number with Do Not Call List: To help block robocalls and spam text messages, register phone numbers at DoNotCall.gov.
To report suspicious activity related to SunPass or E-ZPass, Floridians can file complaints at FDLE’s Report a Cybercrime webpage.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.