Indianapolis, IN – A wave of fraudulent toll violation text scams is sweeping across the country, with state officials in Indiana, Illinois, Colorado and Utah warning residents to stay vigilant. The messages, often claiming to be from local Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or Transportation (DOT), urge recipients to pay supposed outstanding traffic fees through links designed to mimic government websites.
The scams, which surged Friday according to multiple state alerts, use deceptive tactics including URLs resembling official government domains. Fake sites like “utah.gov-etcal.win” or “utah-govu.cc” are designed to appear legitimate, tricking victims into entering personal and financial information.
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, these messages often reference fake legal codes and deadlines, and threaten serious consequences such as license suspension, additional fines, or damage to credit scores. Indiana State Police and the Illinois Tollway Authority have since issued similar alerts, citing increased reports of fraudulent toll payment demands through text and email.
Officials emphasize a few key red flags: legitimate government websites never include dashes or additional words in the domain (e.g., “utah.gov” is real, but “utah-gov-something.com” is fake), and state agencies do not request payments via unsolicited text messages.
The Federal Trade Commission advises the public not to click on suspicious links, not to share personal information, and to report the scams to local law enforcement or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Consumers are also urged to verify toll charges directly through official state websites or by contacting toll authorities directly.
Authorities stress that staying informed and sharing the warning with friends and family can prevent further victimization.
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