Ohio Turnpike text scam asks motorists for toll payments. Here's how to avoid 'smishing'

Ohio motorists are being warned to once again be on the lookout for a mobile scam requesting payments for unpaid tolls, according to a social media post from the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. The text message scam is referred to as " smishing ," a combination of SMS (short message service) and phishing (scammers claiming to be representatives of an organization).

"The Ohio Turnpike does not request its E-ZPass customers to make payments by text. Collections of unpaid tolls and/or toll violations do not occur by text either," according to the X post.

Motorists should be aware that all links from Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass accounts should only appear from http://ezpassoh.com and http://ohioturnpike.org .

Ohioans who have unpaid tolls can pay online at the Ohio Turnpike's website at https://www.ezpassoh.com/select-login-type .

Tips to avoid smishing scams

The following tips for avoiding smishing scams come from the Federal Communications Commission's website :

• Never click links, reply to text messages or call numbers you don't recognize.
• Do not respond, even if the message requests that you "text STOP" to end messages.
• Delete all suspicious texts.
• Make sure your smart device OS and security apps are updated to the latest version.
• Consider installing anti-malware software on your device for added security.
• Protect any sensitive personal information — bank accounts, health records, social media accounts, etc. — by using multi-factor authentication to access it.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio Turnpike text scam asks motorists for toll payments. Here's how to avoid 'smishing'