In recent days, a growing number of Californian residents have reported receiving fraudulent text messages related to the Express Lanes from the FasTrak electronic toll collection system. FasTrak users have become the prime targets of scammers. FasTrak is an electronic toll collection system used to pay tolls on certain bridges and express lanes in California.
These scam text messages are being sent from phone numbers with more digits than the usual ten, and some recipients have reported receiving them from strangely unusual email addresses.
The content of these scam messages typically includes links that direct users to input personal information. This allows scammers to impersonate individuals, open bank accounts, or steal money.
One person received a fraudulent text message stating: “Please pay the fee for the FasTrak Lane by January 20, 2025. To avoid excessive late fees and the legal consequences of overdue bills, please pay the fee immediately. Reply with Y, then exit and reopen the message to activate the link, or copy the link directly into your browser.”
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority previously stated that their system has not been hacked, and customer information has not been compromised. Metro never sends text messages to vehicle owners demanding payments or personal sensitive information. Therefore, individuals should never respond to such fraudulent text messages, and definitely should not click on any links included in the message.
California has 13 major bridges, express lanes, and road toll agencies that all use the FasTrak system for electronic toll collection. Drivers need to set up a FasTrak account in advance and place a toll tag in their vehicles to use the toll express lanes.
What should non-FasTrak drivers do if they accidentally enter a toll road? Generally, if a vehicle enters a toll bridge, express lane, or road without a valid FasTrak account or transponder, the driver can immediately pay a one-time toll online within a short period. If payment is not made, the registered owner of the vehicle will receive a paper notice of toll evasion violation.
Upon receiving the notice, vehicle owners simply need to follow the instructions in the letter to promptly pay the fee and avoid further fines.
Therefore, toll collection agencies in California remind all drivers that they will not request personal information via text message. Therefore, individuals should ignore phishing payment scam messages sent to their phone, as these fraudulent messages may also include a specific “amount owed”.
Some drivers who have registered for a FasTrak account and placed a toll tag in their vehicle have still received fines. This may be due to reasons such as the vehicle’s license plate not being listed in the FasTrak account, insufficient balance in the account, the transponder may not be operational, or it was improperly installed. Users can log into their accounts to update information and contact the agency to resolve any fines.
In any situation, the relevant agencies remind all individuals not to pay attention to sudden phishing messages received and to never click on any unfamiliar links.