Scammers continue to target drivers with fake unpaid Pennsylvania Turnpike toll texts

FOLKS. IT JUST KEEPS HAPPENING. SCAMMERS CONTINUE TO TARGET DRIVERS WITH FAKE TEXT MESSAGES APPEARING TO BE COMING FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE OR FROM PENNDOT. THEY TELL RECIPIENTS THEY HAVE AN UNPAID TOLL FROM TRAVELING ON THE TURNPIKE. WITH THIS NEWEST VERSION SAYING THERE’S A FINAL REMINDER PUSHING A SENSE OF URGENCY. AND WHEN I SAY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING, I REALLY MEAN IT. HERE’S A LOOK AT JUST SOME OF THE EXAMPLES WE’VE RECEIVED OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. BUT NO MATTER THE FORM THEY TAKE ON, THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME GOAL HERE. AND THAT IS TO STEAL YOUR MONEY. THIS IS THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE ACTUALLY SENT TO ONE OF OUR NEWS EIGHT PRODUCERS. AND YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT IT, THESE SCAMMERS ARE JUST GETTING A LITTLE LAZY. IT SEEMS THE LINK THEY WANT YOU TO CLICK ON ISN’T EVEN SET UP AS A PROPER HYPERLINK, SO YOU COULDN’T CLICK IT EVEN IF YOU WERE UNINFORMED ENOUGH TO DO IT. THEY EVEN EXPLAINED IN THE TEXT THAT YOU HAVE TO COPY AND PASTE IT INTO A WEB BROWSER TO VIEW IT. YOU HAVE TO DO THEIR WORK FOR THEM ESSENTIALLY. STILL, THAT LINK ALMOST CERTAINLY CONTAINS AN UNKNOWN DANGER, AND YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER FOLLOW LINKS THAT YOU GET FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES. WE’VE TOLD YOU THAT MANY TIMES. IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT WHETHER YOU ACTUALLY OWE THE TURNPIKE ANY MONEY, THERE’S A SIMPLE WAY TO CHECK ON THAT. E-ZPASS ACCOUNT HOLDERS AND TOLL BY PLATE CUSTOMERS CAN SECURELY CHECK THEIR ACCOUNTS BY CALLING THE AGENCY DIRECTLY AT THE NUMBER YOU SEE HERE ON YOUR SCREEN. YOU CAN ALSO USE THE OFFICIAL PA TURNPIKE E-ZPASS WEBSITE OR DOWNLOAD THE PENNSYLVANIA TOLL PAY APP FOR MORE REPORTS ON THESE TYPES OF SCAMS AND HOW TO STAY SAFE FROM THEM, AND KEEP YOUR MONEY IN YOUR POCKET, HEAD ON OVER TO THE EIGHT ON YO

It just keeps happening.Scammers continue to target drivers with fake text messages, appearing to come from the Pennsylvania Turnpike and PennDOT.They tell recipients they have an unpaid toll from traveling on the turnpike, with this newest version saying there's a "final reminder," pushing a sense of urgency.The News 8 On Your Side Team has received numerous versions of this text from viewers, and one was even sent to one of our own producers. No matter the form they take on, they all have the same goal: to steal your money.The message comes from a jumbled email address, saying that this is a "final reminder" from the PA Turnpike and the recipient needs to pay an unpaid toll by April 1 or face penalties.You can tell just by looking at it: these scammers are getting a little lazy. The link they want you to click isn't even set up as a proper hyperlink, so you couldn't click it even if you were uninformed enough to do it. They even explain in the text that you have to copy and paste it into a web browser to view it.Still, that link almost certainly contains an unknown danger, and you should never, ever follow links you get from unknown sources. If you are curious about whether you actually owe the Turnpike any money, there's a simple way to check. Safe ways to check your accountE-ZPass account holders and Toll By Plate customers can securely check their accounts by:Calling 1-877-736-6727 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.).Using the official PA Turnpike E-ZPass website.Downloading the PA Toll Pay app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.Key adviceAvoid phishing scams by verifying messages through approved and official channels.If you receive a fraudulent text, you can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

It just keeps happening.

Scammers continue to target drivers with fake text messages, appearing to come from the Pennsylvania Turnpike and PennDOT.

They tell recipients they have an unpaid toll from traveling on the turnpike, with this newest version saying there's a "final reminder," pushing a sense of urgency.

The News 8 On Your Side Team has received numerous versions of this text from viewers, and one was even sent to one of our own producers. No matter the form they take on, they all have the same goal: to steal your money.

scam text claiming to be from Pennsylvania Turnpike

WGAL

The message comes from a jumbled email address, saying that this is a "final reminder" from the PA Turnpike and the recipient needs to pay an unpaid toll by April 1 or face penalties.

You can tell just by looking at it: these scammers are getting a little lazy.

The link they want you to click isn't even set up as a proper hyperlink, so you couldn't click it even if you were uninformed enough to do it.

They even explain in the text that you have to copy and paste it into a web browser to view it.

Still, that link almost certainly contains an unknown danger, and you should never, ever follow links you get from unknown sources. If you are curious about whether you actually owe the Turnpike any money, there's a simple way to check.

Safe ways to check your account

E-ZPass account holders and Toll By Plate customers can securely check their accounts by:

Calling 1-877-736-6727 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
Using the official PA Turnpike E-ZPass website.
Downloading the PA Toll Pay app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Key advice

Avoid phishing scams by verifying messages through approved and official channels.

If you receive a fraudulent text, you can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Scammers continue to target drivers with fake unpaid Pennsylvania Turnpike toll texts

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