The Indiana Department of Transportation issued a warning for the community to be aware of tolling-related text message or “smishing” scams targeting Hoosiers statewide.
The department stated that false messages appearing to be received from INDOT or tolling service providers alert recipients of a “final notice” regarding unpaid tolls as well as mentioning additional fines, late fees, suspension of vehicle registration, vehicle impoundment and further legal actions. The messages typically include a link for payment.
INDOT Strategic Communications Director Natalie Garrett stated that the department would never notify drivers of unpaid tolls in the manner that the scammers utilize.
“INDOT does not and will not notify drivers of unpaid tolls via text message,” Garrett said. “We urge members of the public to exercise extreme caution before opening suspicious links. The best thing to do is delete these messages.”
Various “smishing” scams have been ongoing since the spring of 2024. The FBI issued a warning on April 12, 2024, citing over 2,000 complaints of false text messages representing toll collection services. The agency encourages victims of fraudulent messages to report them to its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and delete the texts.
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