What to know about fraudulent SMS messages

Did you recently receive a text message saying you owe money to TollSunPassServices.com for a late payment from a Tennessee toll road? Do not click on the link.

Scammers are sending text messages to some people in many different states, claiming they will have to pay a $50 fee if they don’t pay the bogus fee.

The text should seem particularly suspicious to Tennesseans, since the Volunteer State has no toll roads, the Tennessee Department of Transportation told The Tennessean.

What is the SunPass toll text message scam?

The fraudulent texts ask those who receive them to visit a website appearing to belong to an entity called “SunPass Services” to “pay your bill.”

“Tennessee Toll Services: We have noticed an outstanding balance of $11.69 on file. To avoid a $50 late fee, please visit” the scam link, the texts state.

Versions of this scam appear to have been circulating for at least a month. They originally targeted Floridians, since Florida’s toll system is SunPass, but the scam has spread to other jurisdictions. The Palm Beach Post reported that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said during a news conference that cybercriminals send these text messages in hopes that drivers “will be tricked into paying toll fees for a violation which never happened.”

What should you do if you receive a scam text message?

First of all, don’t click on the link. If you receive a text message saying you owe a toll from another state, verify the amount with that state’s agency independently.

You can also flag the text. Alex Denis, TDOT’s deputy chief of communications and public affairs, said people who receive the text should report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Denis said if enough people report a cybercrime is taking place, the FBI could issue a state alert.