On the front
of its webpage, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Good to Go
program has a warning about clicking on links in emails or text messages
claiming that you have an overdue amount owing on your Good to Go toll account.
This warning
shows that a scam that has been making the rounds in other states has come to
Washington State. With the toll fee scam, you receive an email or text message
that claims that you owe overdue toll fees on the state’s highways. The email
or texts will have links to websites that claim to be from the toll road
authority or a vendor who administers the toll program.
The FBI also
has issued its own warning for the scam. In March of this year the FBI received
over 2,000 complaints about the scam to its IC3 complaint center.
In addition
to Washington, several other states and local toll authorities have issued
warnings including Virginia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana,
New Jersey, Dener, Georgia, California, North Caroline, and Texas.
As with other
similar scams the link or telephone number provided in the email or text
message will take you to a fake website designed to look like the real web site
of the agency that the scammer is purporting to represent or to an operator pretending
to represent the agency.
The FBI
recommends that if you receive a toll fee scam email or text to,
·
Check your account using the
toll agency’s actual website. DO NOT click on any links in the message. Instead
look for the agency’s web address on any statements that you might have from
the agency or do a web search to find the right address.
·
If you want to call the agency’s
customer service department, DO NOT call any phone numbers provided by the email
or text. Look up the phone number with a web search.
·
Report the scam to the FBI at www.ic3.gov with the following information
o The phone number from where the text originated or the email
address of the originator of the email.
o Any website addresses listed in the email or text.
·
Delete the email or text.
The toll fee
scam is one more example of scammers finding new agencies and organizations to
impersonate to steal from you.
Washington
State Department of Transportation, Good to Go:
https://mygoodtogo.com/EN/
FBI:
https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2024/PSA240412
Verify:
https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/scams-verify/texts-about-outstanding-toll-balances-are-scams/536-68dc189f-8307-453d-b6d4-5df79805afd9?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_VerifyThis
GeekWire:
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/washington-state-dept-of-transportation-warns-good-to-go-customers-of-bill-paying-scam/
KIRO 7 News:
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/new-scam-targets-good-go-toll-customers/S37OCLACHVGNTPWB2RS3NWQBCA/
