- The US SMS fraud claims that unpaid toll fees are due
- Messages include a malicious link to stealing payment information
- FBI warns users to delete and report messages from unknown senders
The FBI has warned of a new phishing fidus sweeping smartphones in the United States. Con is targeted at drivers with compelling fake texts that claim to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). It is part of a growing trend of SMS -road tax fraud designed to trick recipients to click on malicious links and hand over their credit card information.
As reported by the local Memphis TV Station Wreg and later picked up by Men’s Journal, the FBI has issued a warning to anyone receiving a suspicious SMS. The Bureau has called on smartphone users not to click on links from unknown sources and immediately delete these text messages.
When he spoke to Wreg, the FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer Fidus described as a “copycat” of the widespread toll fraud that appeared earlier this year. These attacks also used false unpaid tolls notifications to lure victims to hand over sensitive personal details.
What makes these toll fraud so dangerous is the ease they can be distributed as well as what they can gather. “It costs almost nothing for them to … send these messages and call out,” Palmer told Wreg. “In return, they can … go in and steal information from your device or collect your payment information.”
How Fidus works – and how to find it
How to find a fake text
While some scam -text messages are surprisingly polished, there are several common signs to look after:
• Generic greetings Without personal information
• urgent or threatening language such as “Your account will be suspended”
• Unusual Links or E -Mail AddressesOften ends up on strange domains or not -related names
• Obviously errors Including typos or formatting errors
• Unknown senderssuch as random numbers or clearly false E -mail -handle
Most toll texts follow a similar format. The message usually claims that you have outstanding tolls and encourage you to follow a link to settle the balance. The link typically leads to a fake payment site designed to steal your information. This will be a compelling copy of a real government site using similar fonts, colors and logos, all of which appear to be official.
Most messages include the threat of late fees or litigation if you don’t act quickly. This is intended to create a sense of urgency and panic, which triggers an emotional reaction that can cause the recipient to overlook discrepancies and act without verifying whether the message is legitimate.
Palmer allegedly received one of the false lyrics itself – and quickly discovered several red flags. “A few things I noticed immediately … The SMS I received said it was from the North Tennessee Department of Motor Vehicles,” he said. “Obviously, there is no north or south Tennessee.”
Disagreements like these are a clear characteristic of a message trying to dupe you. Then sender information is not added. Agent Palmer gave an example: “The message I received was from E -Mail -Address @catlover.com, of course it is not a government address.”
Other signs to look after include spelling and grammatical errors as well as generic greetings that do not refer to your name or license plate. If you are unsure, do not engage in the message. Instead, contact the relevant agency directly for clarification. Or as palms put it, “If you don’t know who it is from, don’t click on the link.”
Suspicious messages must be deleted immediately. You can also report them to FTC and FBI’s Claim Center for Internet Crime.
