Nationwide Alert: SMS Phishing Attacks Target Toll Road Customers

In a concerning trend across the United States, a sophisticated SMS phishing campaign has been targeting Americans with fake unpaid toll charges. The FBI has issued a critical warning about this scam, which has been active since last month and has already fooled thousands. Victims receive texts that impersonate road toll services from various states, urging them to click on links that lead to counterfeit websites designed to steal personal information.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is one of the many services affected, and both they and the Pennsylvania State Police have been advising customers to ignore these fraudulent messages. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has received over 2,000 complaints about these deceptive texts.

To combat this threat, the FBI recommends reporting any phishing attempts to ic3.gov, verifying toll accounts through official websites, contacting official customer service, deleting the scam texts, and using robust antivirus protection on all devices. For those who have fallen prey to the scam, it's vital to monitor for unfamiliar charges and dispute them immediately.

As cybercriminals become more cunning, staying informed and skeptical of unsolicited communications is key to protecting oneself from such invasive tactics. The collective effort to identify and report scams plays a crucial role in safeguarding the public from these cyber threats.

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