LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement alerting consumers to a scam that has recently been on the rise in Arkansas:
“Last year, Arkansas saw a new ‘smishing’ scam—a combination of ‘SMS’ (texts) and ‘phishing’— come to our state. In these scams, criminals attempt to steal consumers’ personal information and trick consumers into handing over funds by impersonating a state toll service. We’ve received numerous reports that this scam is again on the rise.
“While Arkansas does not have toll roads, many Arkansans may have traveled during the winter holidays to states that do impose tolls on certain roads. Because of heightened holiday travel, some Arkansans might be more easily tricked into thinking these are legitimate texts about unpaid toll fees.
“If you get one of these texts, please fill out the robocall reporting form on my website, and do not send payment to any entity that only contacts you via text.”
The robocall reporting form can be found at https://arkansasag.gov/resources/contact- us/robocall-reporting-form/.
Here is an example of this scam:
Pay your FastTrak Lane tolls by X date. To avoid a fine and keep your license, you can pay at
a provided link.
(Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link into your Safari browser and open it)
[Eds. The texts have come from multiple country codes such as +63 (Philippines) and +66 (Thailand). Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer posted a warning on this matter in early February.]
Below are some tips to recognize scams and keep yourself safe if you receive a text message claiming to be from a state toll service:
- Do not click on the link.
- Delete the text message and report it as junk.
- If you have reason to believe the message may be legitimate, contact the state’s tolling agency. Be sure to use a phone number or website that you know is legitimate and not the information in the text message.
- If you did click any link, take steps to protect your personal information. Change your passwords, monitor your financial accounts, and dispute any unfamiliar charges.
For more information or to file a Consumer Complaint, please contact the Office of Attorney General at (501) 682-2007 or oag@arkansasag.gov, or visit the website www.ArkansasAG.gov.
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