A month after Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin warned residents about a resurfacing mobile phone scam, fraudulent text messages claiming recipients owe unpaid toll fees continue to circulate.
According to a March 27 release from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the scam, which first appeared in the state in 2024, involves text messages from scammers posing as toll service providers.
The messages direct recipients to a payment link in an attempt to steal personal information and money. However, Arkansas does not have toll roads, making all such claims fraudulent.
Here is an example of this scam:
Pay your FastTrak Lane tolls by X date. To avoid a fine and keep your license, you can pay at
(link)
(Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link into your Safari browser and open it)
Below are some tips from Griffin’s office to recognize scams and keep yourself safe if you receive a text message claiming to be from a state toll service:
- Do not click on the link.
- Delete the text message and report it as junk.
- If you have reason to believe the message may be legitimate, contact the state’s tolling agency. Be sure to use a phone number or website that you know is legitimate and not the information in the text message.
- If you did click any link, take steps to protect your personal information. Change your passwords, monitor your financial accounts, and dispute any unfamiliar charges.
“If you get one of these texts, please fill out the robocall reporting form on my website, and do not send payment to any entity that only contacts you via text,” Griffin said in his late February statement.
To report a scam text message, click here.
Image via Arkansas Attorney General’s Office
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