Enjoying the uptick in annoying political texts? 🤪 We sure are. Pro tip: reply to the cringiest ones with a GIF of something completely ridiculous. Will it stop the texts? Probably not. Will it make you laugh? We hope so. 🤸
Speaking of annoying texts, there’s a new texting scam in town. 🚨 And by town we mean Ohio.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on the E-ZPass scam:
- 🚩 Red Flags - Ohio law enforcement and the Ohio Turnpike just issued a scam alert to warn folks of a new texting scam related to the E-ZPass system. The system was impacted by the recent big technology outage and cyber crooks are taking full advantage.
- 💸 Show Me the Money - The scam texts come from a 438 area code (Montreal). Reports say the texts typically claim that the recipient owes $9.75 for unpaid tolls, although the amount can vary. They may also say that if you don’t click the included link and pay ASAP, you’ll get hit with charges of $97.50.
- 💻 Official Business - If you’re an E-ZPass user, your account should be linked to a form of payment through their online portal. There, you can re-up your funds when your balance is low or set it to auto replenish. E-ZPass will never text you about money you owe.
- 🤳 Click Bait - If you receive one of these scammy texts, delete the message. Whatever you do, don’t click on any links or enter your credit card number or personal information. Don’t give crooks the keys to the kingdom!
- 🚗 Right From the Source - If you’re curious about your E-ZPass balance or account status, the best thing to do is log in directly through the official website. From there, you can take care of any outstanding fees or contact customer service for assistance. Here’s the link!
🔥Bottom line: Scams like this aren’t just in Ohio. The FBI has received over 2,000 complaints of bogus toll collection texts since early March. Stay alert out there! On a brighter note, an energy rebate bill could mean big savings on utilities. Check out more details here.
Have you ever been the victim of a scam?
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