Description

I received the following text message on January 4, 2025 from phone number 63-951-454-4354: "Please pay the fee of ZipCash Lane on January 4, 2025. In order to avoid excessive late fees and potential legal action on statements, please pay the fee in time. Thank you for your cooperation and wish you a pleasant holiday. https://ntta.org-pay-j7de.sbs/us (Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser and open it)" I believe this is a scam for the following reasons: * My toll tag account does not indicate late payments * Unsolicited Payment Request: Legitimate organizations like the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) typically do not request payments through unsolicited text messages. NTTA advises customers to be cautious of such messages and recommends verifying account information directly through their official website or customer service. * Suspicious URL: The provided link mimics NTTA's official website but includes additional characters (e.g., "ntta.org-pay-j7de.sbs/us"), which is a common tactic in phishing attempts to deceive recipients into believing the link is legitimate. Also, the difference between .org- and .org/ is significant and indicates that the link is not associated with NTTA's official website. * International Phone Number: The message originates from a number with the country code "+63," corresponding to the Philippines. It's unusual for a U.S.-based toll authority to contact customers from an international number. * Urgent Language and Activation Instructions: The message employs urgent language to prompt immediate action and includes unusual instructions to "reply Y" and reopen the message to activate the link, which are tactics often used in scams to bypass security measures.