When it comes to protecting people from scams, the old saying usually goes “buyer beware.”
In the case of a scam New York State is warning motorists about, the words of wisdom can be changed to “driver beware.”
That is because the New York State Thruway Authority issued an urgent warning for drivers in Suffolk County and across the Empire State.
Con artists are sending unsuspecting folks a “phishing” scam warning them that if they don’t click a link that’s sent to them by text message, they’re at risk of being hit with a $50 fine.
The Thruway Authority says this is a scam and encourages motorists to delete the message and not respond.
Unfortunately, people are being duped because the scam text message looks similar in nature to one normally used by Tolls By Mail, with the distinct difference that the phishing message asks people to provide personal and banking information.
“Tolls by Mail will never send an email or contact you requesting sensitive personal information such as credit card number, social security, etc. If you are contacted by anyone stating that they are from Tolls by Mail and they are seeking personal information, please DO NOT provide the information requested,” is the warning posted on the TollsByMailNY.com website.
The scam text messages are also using a bogus website that looks official: NYTollServices.com.
The legitimate website to pay tolls is TollsByMailNY.com.
If you believe you’ve been contacted by these con artists, you are asked to report it by calling 1.844.826.8400.