A growing pattern of text messages falsely notifying people about pending unpaid toll charges represents a fresh version of an escalating fraud trend. This fraudulent activity is referred to as ‘smishing’—a combination of the terms ‘phishing’ and ‘SMS.’ Phishing is a deceptive method employed to manipulate people into disclosing their financial details or installing malware, while SMS denotes the tech protocol utilized for texting. Through such scams, fraudsters have the ability not just to swindle money from their prey but also invade their devices to pilfer personal finance data or identities.
In 2024, the FBI’s dedicated line for internet scam reporting, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, noted an upward trajectory of such fraudulent activities, having documented over 60,000 complaints concerning sum unpaid toll scams. These fraudulent acts are bolstered by the hidden dangers of the widespread adoption of cashless toll payments on highways and the expansive use of mobile devices by Americans to take care of diverse forms of business transactions.
Scammers have proved astute, adapting their tactics to center around several issues such as overdue phone or credit card bills, unfulfilled package deliveries, and even fake scam alerts or cybersecurity warnings. These unscrupulous individuals are often part of larger global criminal networks, armed with advanced technology and software that allow them to bombard thousands of individuals with their carefully crafted deceptive texts.
Toll scams are merely one facet of the comprehensive smishing efforts. Nonetheless, they have drawn attention and warnings from multiple authorities, including the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and state-run institutions. Assorted transportation agencies across the country have also issued advisories to the general public about the potential risks.
An assistant director of communications at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission—a government entity presiding over toll stations across several regions of the San Francisco Bay Area—expressed frustration over these scams. ‘We find ourselves constantly wrestling with such scams, which have been a pernicious issue for more than a year,’ he said.
He pointed to early 2024 as the genesis of the problem, noting variations in the scam patterns every few weeks with changing types of messages. Over time, the overall sophistication and aggressiveness of the messaging employed by the scammers have seen a marked increase, making dealing with the problem all the more challenging.
Investigating these incidents proves complex and strenuous. The majority of cell phone numbers used in the scams are based outside the country, so pursuing the culprits involves considerable international coordination. Furthermore, the magnitude of such offenses is likely far greater than reported due to the reluctance of many victims to file reports.
A significant proportion of victims may feel too embarrassed to report the fraudulent activity or deem their financial loss insignificant enough to warrant the effort. The underreporting of these crimes potentially allows for their continued proliferation, complicating the task before authorities to combat these fraud activities effectively.