Were You Smished By the Maine Turnpike Authority?

The bad guys are trying to scam you using the Maine Turnpike Authority.

Did you get a text from the Maine Turnpike Authority asking for money for an unpaid toll? Looks pretty official doesn't it? Well, it's a complete scam!

According to News Center Maine, a lot of people got this text. If you haven't, and you do - don't click it. Maybe you've heard of phishing. This is 'smishing'. It's where the scammers use a text message. In this case it looks pretty legitimate and from the Maine Turnpike. It's not. They warned on their website,

If you receive a text message requesting payment for a toll, do not respond to it or click any links.

Scary message about added fines from the Maine Turnpike Authority is a scam

A big hint that this is a scam is that you are instructed to '...please settle your outstanding toll balance now by visiting the link below.' Anytime you are asked to click something, be wary!

This scam is causing the MTA some serious headaches.

MTA spokesperson Erin Courtney told News Center Maine, that they never collect tolls through text messages. They will only mail you a notification of a violation or requests for payment. She went on to say,

These fake messages have led to an increase in calls and visits to our service center, resulting in longer wait times for customers with legitimate inquiries.

Misery loves company.

Maine is not the only state dealing with this 'smishing' scam regarding unpaid tolls. The FBI put out a warning about this back in April. Complaints have come in from at least seven states and the problem is only growing. Your best defense if you are suspicious of any text or email is to delete it.