ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Several VERIFY viewers have sent in screenshots of text messages they suspected of being scams that claim to be from SunPass.
The urgently worded text message claims SunPass detected unpaid toll fees and includes a link to make your payment to “prevent extra fees.”
Many Reddit users who also received the text message have questioned if it's real.
THE QUESTION
Are text messages claiming to be from SunPass about unpaid tolls legitimate?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, text messages claiming to be from SunPass about unpaid tolls are not legitimate. Scammers are impersonating SunPass to steal your personal and credit card information.
WHAT WE FOUND
SunPass said it did not send the text messages and that it will never ask for immediate payments or urgent actions via text.
VERIFY clicked the link in the text message which redirects to a website impersonating SunPass. The site even includes logos and branding, but it’s fake.
In a statement posted on its website, SunPass said it had been alerted to the phishing attempts but believed its system had not been compromised.
SunPass said it will only ever contact customers from the following:
- customerservice@sunpass.com
- noreply@sunpass.com
- Text: 786727
This isn't the first time scammers have posed as SunPass trying to cash in on customers' confusion. In 2019, fraudsters sent legitimate-looking emails to drivers threatening to issue a summons within 30 days to those who didn't pay up.
Text message scams now outnumber phone call scams, according to a 2021 mid-year report from call-blocking service Robokiller. Texts have been the most common type of scam since August 2020.
The FCC says that scammers impersonate all types of companies, including subscription services, package and mail carriers, banks, government agencies and service providers such as mobile carriers.
The scammers are often looking for personal or financial information from the victim. This tactic has been dubbed “SMiShing" — a combination of SMS and phishing.
The FBI said it has received more than 2,000 complaints related to a toll collection "SMiShing" campaign since March.
The FTC’s advice is simple: don’t click on links in unsolicited text messages.
The FCC recommends that anyone who thinks they’ve fallen victim to such a scam should immediately report it to a local law enforcement agency and notify their wireless service provider and any financial institutions the victim uses.
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