Pennsylvania Turnpike warns of new scam soliciting fraudulent fees

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If you received a text message from the “Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Services,” do not engage with it — it’s a scam.

The “smishing” (SMS/Phishing) scam falsely informs individuals that they have unpaid toll fees and threatens additional charges if the fees are not paid promptly. The scam includes a link that impersonates the official Pennsylvania Turnpike website, directing victims to pay the fraudulent fees.

According to Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) press secretary Marissa Orbanek, they received over 3,000 reports since Saturday, when the PTC was first notified of the scam.

While the scammers are contacting PTC customers, Orbanek reiterated there was no security breach or loss of official information. The scammers randomly messaged drivers who live inside and outside of Pennsylvania. Orbanek said the PTC will never directly communicate with customers through text messages.

In a statement released Saturday, the PTC advised potential victims of the scam on how to handle the perilous text message.

“People who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from the PA Turnpike or another toll agency should not click on the link.”

The PTC offered the official Pennsylvania Turnpike E-ZPass website or the Pennsylvania Toll Pay app as safe methods to check their accounts.

“I think people are fearful that they owe money and want to make sure they are paying on time.” Orbanek said.

While this recent scam is on the rise, similar scams have targeted Pennsylvania drivers as recently as April. In the PTC’s statement, poll agencies across the country are reporting scams akin to the one circulating the Philadelphia region now.

“I think we are being targeted because we are a well-known agency.” Orbanek said. “We have hundreds of thousands of customers.”

Orbanek is not sure how successful these scams are but they advise people to secure their personal accounts, dispute any unfamiliar charges, and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.