Drivers across Ohio are checking their texts, looking at their email inboxes and finding a surprising message from what appears to be the Ohio Turnpike Commission.
It claims you owe money (typically $9.75) for unpaid tolls on the highway, which runs east to west in northern Ohio.
Worse, it says if you do not click through and pay the bill immediately with a credit card, you will face "additional charges of $97.50."
T. Wright of Ross, Ohio, reached out to WCPO, saying "I have never driven on the Ohio Turnpike as far as I know, what should I do?"
The answer, according to the Turnpike Commission, is to simply delete the message.
It is a very convincing scam, and many people are falling for it.
But the Turnpike Commission says don't click through, and do not enter a credit card or other personal information.
Latest version of a nationwide scam
The message is the latest version of a nationwide ruse, that has has targeted drivers with phony messages about other toll agencies.
As we reported back in June, many of the texts claim to be from Florida's SunPass and the east coast's EZ Pass system.
Since early March, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has received more than 2,000 complaints about fake texts from senders claiming to be a toll collection service.
The toll program out of Florida, SunPass, has also warned customers about the phishing scam, saying in an email: “Please note that SunPass does not ask customers via text to make a payment or take immediate action on their account.”
Melanie McGovern of the Better Business Bureau says the best thing you can do is to close out the text and put down your phone.
“Maybe go over to a computer. Look at the state or the regional toll agency's website to see if there are phishing scams going on or if you do owe a toll, how you can pay,” she said.
Then, McGovern said to block the number and delete the message.
So check it carefully, so you don’t waste your money.
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