Texas Drivers Targeted by New Toll Road Scam

(Mix 93-1) The scammers are relentless. They are always busy coming up with new ways to access your money and bank account. Scammers will use high-pressure scare and fear tactics featuring high-profile businesses and recognized entities to put fear into you, hoping you'll follow through with their threat.

Texas has quite a few toll roads these days. The majority of them are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio area, but East Texas does have one that thousands use each day. Toll 49. Toll 49 is a Smith County toll road that runs from north of Lindale around the western side of Tyler south to Hwy. 110 near Whitehouse.

As a convenience to use this road and other toll roads throughout Texas, the state collects toll charges by taking a picture of your license plate and sending you a bill in the mail or through a toll tag reader of some kind.

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TXTag, North Texas Toll Authority, and EZ Pass are a few of the ways that the majority of toll road users use to pay their tolls.

If you're like me, your phone has been bombarded with text messages stating you have an unpaid toll bill and you need to act now by clicking the link within 12 hours to pay your bill.

TxDOT warns -- DO NOT CLICK THE LINK -- in that toll text message

The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), which operates TxTAG, is aware of this scam and warns Texas residents to not tap on any link from a text message like this because you could be placing your personal and financial information at risk and serving it up to hackers and scammers on a platter.

Lucky Larry, Mix 93-1

The SMS phishing scam activity has increased over the last couple of months. TXDOT states:

TxTag takes customer account security and verification very seriously. While TxTag currently communicates with customers via email, text and outbound phone calls, it will not send text messages regarding final payment reminders or past due balances. Any text messages sent to TxTag customers will be sent from 22498.

These messages are once again being sent out with frequency. Yesterday alone I received four of these messages after being inundated with them in mid-February.

Anytime you receive an unsolicited message like the ones above, you should be extremely cautious, especially if they are requiring payment or asking for money.

Protect your identity and banking information, and never give out your personal information or PIN codes to anyone.