Pa. turnpike warns of ‘smishing’ scams

(WKBN) — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is advising residents that ‘smishing’ scams are again on the rise.

The texts purport to be from “Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Services” and center around urgent requests with the account that would result in additional charges if the overdue balance does not get settled.

Similar scams have been reported by toll agencies across the country over the past several days, according to a PTC news release.

People who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from the PA Turnpike or another toll agency should not click on the link. E-ZPass account holders and Toll By Plate customers can use approved safe methods to check their accounts such as the official PA Turnpike E-ZPass website .

Those who receive a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov . That is a site dedicated to sharing information on Internet crimes across law enforcement agencies.

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