FasTrak text messages asking for payments are a scam, California attorney general says – Orange County Register

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert Monday, July 1, following a rise in text message scams claiming consumers must pay express lane or FasTrak toll fees. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Have you recently received a text message, supposedly from FasTrak, claiming that you owe money for using a toll road?

The message appears legitimate. The agency name is correct, and you may even have a transponder and have recently driven on a local toll road.

But the text message is a scam, says California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Also see: She had a transponder on the windshield, but it was still charged as if she didn’t have it

Bonta’s office issued a consumer alert Monday, July 1, following “an increase in text message scams claiming that consumers owe expressway or toll fees and requesting online payment.”

SMS scams involve deceiving recipients into believing they have “overdue toll charges.” In order to avoid these charges, the consumer is prompted to click on the embedded link for more details.

“It’s probably not the toll agency, but a scammer,” Bonta’s office said.

Learn more about toll roads: How Orange County Made Transit Toll History and Now Has Zombie Transponders

Clicking on this link may lead to a phishing attack, an elaborate ruse designed to gather more information from the panicked consumer. Disclosing this information may lead to identity theft.

According to a report from the FBI’s Cybercrime Complaint Center, consumers lost at least $12.5 billion in 2022, a 22% increase in the United States. Over the past five years, the agency has recorded 3.8 million complaints and losses exceeding $37 billion.

FasTrak, the electronic toll system used statewide, does not require payment via text message with a link to a website, Bonta said.

Also see: Can a switchable transponder be installed in a vehicle with a sticker?

Here’s what you should do instead, according to the attorney general:

—If you receive an SMS message that appears to be from Fastrak and asks for toll fees, take a screenshot, then delete the message and report it to your provider as “junk” or “spam”. Avoid clicking on any links in the message.

— File a complaint with the FBI (ic3.gov), the Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov), and the state attorney general’s office at oag.ca.gov/contact/general-contact-form. Include the phone number the text message came from and the website listed in the text message.