WTSP reports that the Florida attorney general has shut down nine more websites associated with the nationwide “smishing” scheme aimed at deceiving people into believing they have unpaid toll bills. Texts falsely purporting to come from toll system operators induce the recipients to hand over money and personal identification information. Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) has taken action over several months to thwart the scheme. In May, she announced her office forced 10 other websites masquerading as part of the SunPass system to shut down. A spokesperson for Moody’s office said the state’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit and Department of Law Enforcement are aware the scheme is ongoing.
TRN has seen an upsurge in alerts about the scam coming out of several states over the past week.
According to WIBW in Topeka, the FBI recently reported an uptick in complaints from around the country. The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) and the Better Business Bureau have warned Kansans to be particularly vigilant because of the authority’s recent conversion to cashless collection. KTA’s Rachel Bell tells the station the authority doesn’t send unsolicited texts or emails, and she reminds customers they can control notifications from KTA by accessing their DriveKS accounts.