BBB warns of fraudulent message for Texas toll road billing

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) are warning people of a fraudulent text message, saying that a toll road bill is due, according to a news release from the BBB.

"To avoid additional charges of $150.00, please settle your balance of $7.79," the message reads. It then was followed up by what was believed to be a CTRMA toll link.

CTRMA said on social media the message was impersonating its agency and that it would not send text messages without consent. Furthermore, the agency said it would not ask for personal information, including the amount of money owed to a toll road service through a message.

According to BBB, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICE), TxTag, as well as other toll road services issued warnings about the fraudulent message.

BBB provided guidance on how to avoid becoming a victim in a text message phishing scheme:

• Verify your outstanding toll balance. Customers can do this by checking their account on the toll road service's website or calling customer service.
• Check the company’s contact policies. The BBB said customers should verify with the toll road service will contact them.
• Don't give out your personal information. Never give out information, like a birthday or social security number, unless it is with "a legitimate person or agency they can trust," according to the BBB.
• Block the number and delete the message. It is better to block the phone number and then delete the fraudulent message, the release said.
• If you receive a text message impersonating a road toll collection service, report it. The BBB said customers can file a report with BBB Scam Tracker or file a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.