Drivers hit with Fastrak Road Tax Texts – here you have to take care

Drivers across the country are sent a scam text message asking them to pay an unpaid toll for Fastrak.

Why it matters

Millions of Americans risk being scammed due to false text messages. Those who fall for the scams may end up sharing their personal information as their social security number and bank account if they engage in the scammers.

Another SMS scam that makes it look like it is coming from Ezdrivema, Massachusetts’ electronic toll system, has also recently circulated.

What to know

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that billions of dollars are lost to scammers every year, with some of it coming from text -based fraud such as Fastrak asking for drivers to pay false unpaid toll.

By 2022 alone, $ 8.8 billion was stolen according to the FTC.

The latest text -based scam targeting drivers is a Fastrak or “FastTrack” toll.

While Fastrak is California’s state driver tax system, the texts come from scammers and require users to pay their unpaid toll to avoid a fine and keep your license. “However, when people click on the link to submit a payment, they may lose their personal details including their bank account information or even their identity.

What does Fastrak Scam texts look like?

It is reported that FastRak texts create a false sense of urgency and ask drivers to pay their toll with a specific date or risk additional fines or even the loss of their driver’s license.

In a Fastrak -Fidus text that is shared with NewsweekThe message reads: “Please pay your FastTrack Rail taxes by February 4, 2025. To avoid a fine and keep your license you can pay on,” before revealing a link to make the alleged payment.

A clear sign that the text is from a scammer is the spelling mistake of Fastrak as Fasttrack, but scammers can also use the right spelling to give the victims a false sense of security.

What should i do if u receive a scam -text

If you end up as the recipient of one of these Fastrak -Fidus texts, experts immediately say to report the message as unwanted and block the number.

However, you can also report the message to FTC or notify your telephone company of extra protection.

What people say

Kevin Thompson, a financial expert and CEO and founder of the 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: “I noticed it only when I started emerging.”

Alex Beee, an instructor in financial literacy for the University of Tennessee in Martin, told Newsweek: “One of the most important problems with Fastrak -Fidus for those who are targeted is where the authentic wording sounds on the texts used. Many texts give the date of the alleged unpaid path has an official site that individuals can log in and see, Whether they owe any unpaid amount of official channel for payments is the only way to connect with Fastrak.

Efrat Tabibi, Head of Data Science and Analysis at Guardio, told Newsweek: “Mail fees are rising to pay for road repairs and improvements. Unfortunately, this has also led to more tolls as scammers benefit from the high number of real toll transactions and create false messages to fool people.”

Jen Martin, leader of fraud and claims of the citizens, told Newsweek: “Scammers collect the victims’ identity information to commit identity theft such as opening bank accounts, credit cards and loans. A stolen identity may take years to resolve, so it is important to protect your information from potential fraud. In addition, the payment information may be used to make False purchases.

What happens next

If you receive an unexpected toll bill via text or e email, always make sure to avoid clicking on all links and instead visit the official Toll Service site to check for any unpaid bills.

“Be careful about messages that create a sense of urgency or fear, such as threats of account suspension or litigation. These are ordinary tactics that use to get people to act quickly without thinking about it,” Tabibi added.