St. Petersburg, Florida – Text messages posing as unpaid toll fees have been flooding phone users’ inboxes at an alarming rate, leading to concerns about the rise of “smishing,” a scam tactic utilizing SMS texts to steal personal data and money. According to Robokiller, Americans received a staggering 19.2 billion spam texts in February, signaling a significant increase from previous months. This growing trend of text message scams has left many individuals vulnerable to falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
The Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer alert warning individuals of potential scams involving unpaid tolls, urging the public to remain vigilant against such fraudulent activities. The Anti-Phishing Working Group reported a 22% increase in smishing attempts in the third quarter of 2024, with scammers targeting a wider range of entities, including gas and electric companies and municipal agencies.
Teresa Murray, director of the consumer watchdog program at U.S. Public Interest Research Group, highlighted the adaptability of scammers to capitalize on current events and trends to deceive unsuspecting victims. One notable instance was the surge in scam texts related to unpaid tolls coinciding with the implementation of congestion pricing in New York City in early January.
To protect oneself from falling prey to phone scams, experts recommend registering on the National Do Not Call Registry and exercising caution when responding to unsolicited messages or calls. Individuals are advised to refrain from clicking on links in suspicious texts, as they may contain harmful malware that can compromise personal information.
Although older adults have traditionally been the primary targets of phone scams, recent reports suggest that younger adults are increasingly susceptible to falling victim to fraudulent schemes. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 44 were found to be three times more likely to be successfully targeted by scammers compared to older adults. Despite this trend, older adults have shown greater resistance to scams by avoiding answering calls or texts from unknown sources and registering with the National Do Not Call Registry.
As phone scams continue to evolve and target individuals of all ages, it is essential for the public to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect against potential fraud and cyber threats. By staying informed and following best practices for online and phone safety, individuals can safeguard themselves against falling victim to malicious schemes.