Oklahoma Turnpike Authority customers are the new target for scammers.
Scammers send customers a text message showing a toll invoice and a link to what seems to be OTA’s website. Although fraudulent text messages are not new, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s Spokesperson Lisa Sheared-Salim said they have become more sophisticated in the past couple of weeks, making it harder for customers to be aware of them.
“We did see some initial scam text messages late spring, early summer, and then it quieted down for a little bit,” Sheared-Salim said. “But this most recent round of scam texts has been very prolific, sustained and very sophisticated. Quite frankly, our biggest concern is that this time it is a lot harder for customers to discern the difference because they have used our logos and our color schemes.”
Sheared-Salim added that one of the only ways to fight the scamming scheme is to be aware of it. Scammers are closely mimicking the OTA’s domain in the fraudulent texts. OTA is encouraging customers to pay attention and check their balance on the official website, not through text messages. The agency reports the fraudulent domains and websites are being taken down. However, if a person does pay the scammers, they are financially responsible for any outstanding toll balance.
“The problem is with this type of scam because it's so widespread and they can reach so many people, and they clearly get money off of it, they're going to keep trying, right?” Sheared-Salim said. “So that's why it's so important for consumers to be aware of these scams and to be paying close attention.”
Sheared-Salim said OTA does not usually send text messages, but its debt-collection vendor, Harris & Harris, does.
“We are working with them to improve the look of those text messages to try to help confirm the legitimacy of those text messages,” Sheared-Salim said.
OTA customers can check their balance by entering their license plate number on the state’s PikePass or PlatePlay websites or calling 1-800-PIKEPASS.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
