(KLFY)-- If you have been on a road trip, you're probably familiar with modern tolling systems allowing you to pay your toll fees online. If you anticipate paying for any outstanding tolls, watch out for this text message phishing scam where fraudsters impersonate toll collection services.

"We know we don't have any toll roads here in Louisiana but as you go to the west in Texas or to the east at the beach, you could possibly pass a toll road so we know it's an opportunity or people traveling to potentially go through a toll and what's happening is scammers are pretending to be with those toll roads, texting people that they owe fees for fines for passing through their roads," Chris Babin of Better Business Bureau of Acadiana said.

You receive a text message from what appears to be a state tollway collection service. The text message says you owe a road toll fee of around $12.

"They say you were caught going through a toll road, so you need to click on the link, pay your fine or else there's going to be deeper consequences," Babin said. "When you click on the link, it'll bring you to a page it looks like you're paying that local county for passing through the toll road. The problem is it's a scammer trying to collect your payment information."

The message includes a link to settle your balance, making the message look legitimate. If you click on the link, you risk providing your personal and payment information to the scammers.

"A lot of times it's not through text message," Babin said. "You'll get an email. Something in the mail because they'll have to pull the vehicle's registration which will have your mailing address so what we would say is if you get something like this, contact that local authority and see if they have any record for your vehicle."

• Here are some tips from the BBB on how to avoid text message phishing scams:
• Verify your outstanding toll balance with the legitimate agency. Call the toll service's customer service line.
• Know the warning signs of a fake text. There are several things to look for to help you identify if it's fake.
• Don't click on links or download files that are unexpectedly texted to you. Scammers can disguise a url to appear legitimate when it isn't.
• Block the number and delete the message.
• If you receive a text message impersonating a road toll collection service, report it.

Latest Posts