Ohio Turnpike text scam asks motorists for toll payments. Here's how to avoid 'smishing'

Anthony Thompson, Akron Beacon Journal
·1 min read

Ohio motorists are being warned to once again be on the lookout for a mobile scam requesting payments for unpaid tolls, according to a social media post from the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. The text message scam is referred to as "smishing," a combination of SMS (short message service) and phishing (scammers claiming to be representatives of an organization).

"The Ohio Turnpike does not request its E-ZPass customers to make payments by text. Collections of unpaid tolls and/or toll violations do not occur by text either," according to the X post.

Motorists should be aware that all links from Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass accounts should only appear from http://ezpassoh.com and http://ohioturnpike.org.

Ohioans who have unpaid tolls can pay online at the Ohio Turnpike's website at https://www.ezpassoh.com/select-login-type.

Tips to avoid smishing scams

The following tips for avoiding smishing scams come from the Federal Communications Commission's website:

  • Never click links, reply to text messages or call numbers you don't recognize.

  • Do not respond, even if the message requests that you "text STOP" to end messages.

  • Delete all suspicious texts.

  • Make sure your smart device OS and security apps are updated to the latest version.

  • Consider installing anti-malware software on your device for added security.

  • Protect any sensitive personal information — bank accounts, health records, social media accounts, etc. — by using multi-factor authentication to access it.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio Turnpike scam text asks drivers to pay tolls