MALIBU/TOPANGA CANYON—On May 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Los Hills Station announced on Facebook that the public should be aware of a scam alert about unpaid tolls.
Authorities are warning that if anyone receives a text out of the blue that indicates they have unpaid tolls and include a link that takes them to a page to enter bank or credit card info — but it’s a phishing scam.
Not only is the scammer trying to steal money, but if anyone clicks the link, they could get your personal info (like your driver’s license number) — and even steal one’s identity.
To avoid a text scam like this:
▪️Don’t click on any links in, or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.
▪️Check to see if the text is legit. Reach out to the state’s tolling agency using a phone number or website you know is real — not the info from the text.
▪️Report and delete unwanted text messages. Use your phone’s “report junk” option to report unwanted texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM). Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the text.
To learn more about spotting and avoiding text scams visit www.ftc.gov/textscams.
By Danny Jones