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Over the last couple of weeks, it’s popped up several times. People in Farmville and the surrounding area are getting text messages, claiming that they have an overdue toll charge. Don’t click on the link or do anything other than delete the message. Why? It’s the latest scam to hit Virginia. 

The Herald reached out to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, where officials confirmed the new text scam where people pose as toll agencies and falsely claim you owe money for unpaid tolls.

In the text message, the scammers urgently tell you to pay a toll to avoid late fees and include a link in the message. Clicking that link could result in your personal information being stolen, making you a victim of this scam.

“The DMV will never send you text messages about toll bills,” said Virginia DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey. “We urge our customers to be vigilant and avoid sending your personal information via text.”

Suggestions to avoid the scam

Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid falling for a text scam like this:

– Don’t click on any links in, or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.

– Check to see if the text is legit. Reach out to the state’s tolling agency using a phone number or website you know is real — not the info from the text.

– Report and delete unwanted text messages. Use your phone’s “report junk” option to report unwanted texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM). Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the text.

For more information about Virginia’s toll facilities, access to your E-ZPass account, or concerns regarding a text message about toll payment, visit https://www.tollroadsinvirginia.com/.