Scammers have been impersonating Toll Service Department lately. Over the past few months, there has been a rise in toll text scams eg; – Peach Pass, SunPass, BreezeBy, EZpass, e.t.c. The recent being Ohio Turnpike Toll Services scam.
Drivers across Ohio are being hit by Ohio Turnpike Tolls Text that says ‘our record show that your vehicle has an outstanding toll charge. The text message contains a link to Ohioturnpiketolls.org were the unpaid toll has to be paid in order to avoid additional toll charge of nearly 10% increase.
If you’ve gotten one of such text, here’s a breakdown of what you should know and how to stay protected;
What makes the Ohio Turnpike Tolls text message a scam?
- Ohio Turnpike do not ask vehicle owners via text to make a payment or take immediate action on their account.
- The link on the text message isn’t the legit Ohio Turnpike website which is ‘ohioturnpike.org‘.
- The telephone numbers used to send the phishing texts are being used by similar toll payment scam. Eg – (438) 699-4575, (431) 788-3142, 1(438) 699-4503, e.t.c
- The website ‘Ohioturnpiketolls.org’ was registered in August, 2024 by an anonymous person– this shows it lacks reputation of any sort.
- A cybersecurity tool ‘VirusTotal’ reveals the website IP address is from Bulgaria instead of USA.
How The Ohioturnpiketolls.org Scam Works
Clicking on the link in the fraudulent text message takes victims to a spoofed Ohio Turnpike website that ask for credit card details for the toll fee. People who provide their credit card info would become a victim of credit card fraud. The scammers would not only deduct the fake outstanding balance but would make huge withdrawals.
Also, mere clicking on the link could expose your mobile device to viruses, spywares, or malware. This is because the website could’ve a malware program running in the background. Malware is software that is installed on a computer without the user’s consent and that performs malicious actions, such as stealing passwords or money. Malware can be installed in a variety of ways, including through email attachments, drive-by downloads, or by clicking on links in malicious websites.
Precaution
Here’s what to do If you received a scam text message;
- Don’t attempt to click on the link no matter how legit it looks. Clicking it would either direct you to a fraudulent website or install malware into your device.
- Block The Sender Number. You can do this by flagging the telephone number as spam.
- Delete The Text Message. Deleting the text message will prevent you from mistakenly replying or clicking on it.
What Victims of This Scam Should Do;
Inform Their Credit Card Company
If you provided your credit card details on this scam site, the first step you should take is calling your credit card company. They need to know that your card details have been compromised so as to closely monitor and prevent any unauthorized charges.
Place a Credit Freeze or Fraud Alert
Fraud alert is sort of like a two-factor authentication process for accessing your credit, whereas a credit freeze blocks anyone from accessing your credit — until you remove it. The credit freeze is the best option for you, if you know you wouldn’t be using the credit card anytime soon.
Scan Their Device with a Malware Checker Tool
There’s a likelihood that your device has been infested by malware or spyware after visiting the spoofed website. Scanning your device with a malware removal tool will detect and remove any viruses, spyware, or other malicious programs.
See similar scam – Mygoodtogo Toll Fee Scam Text