PA Turnpike warns of smishing scam back on the rise

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WILKES-BARRE — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is advising that a “smishing scam” is again being sent to random individuals, aiming to deceive them to share their personal financial information to settle outstanding toll amounts.

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.

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 or the PA Toll Pay app available from the Apple App Store, or Google Play store.

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.