Toll scammers are now asking for less money; here's why that makes them more dangerous

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Toll scammers are getting more creative and more dangerous by asking for smaller amounts of money than ever before.

Dr. Michael Skiba, also known as Dr. Fraud, said the trend is continuing nationwide. Scammers are now claiming you owe tiny amounts, sometimes just 99 cents, through fake texts, emails, or even physical mail.

But the small dollar amount is not the point.

"What we're seeing with the tollgate scams is that it's pretty much across the board," cybersecurity expert Michael Skiba said. "I saw that there was an increase last year of 900%. This is something that's very common."

The real goal is confirming that your phone number belongs to a real person, so scammers can target you for future schemes.

Earlier this year, the governor shared an example of how sophisticated these scams have become, noting that thieves are using the official Colorado state seal in similar scam attempts to make their messages appear legitimate.

Here is what you need to know to protect yourself:

• Be on the lookout for fake texts, emails, or physical mail claiming you owe a toll.
• Do not reply to the messages.
• Do not click any links.
• Legitimate government toll agencies will typically send notices by mail.

When in doubt, contact the toll agency directly using contact information from their official website, not from any message you received.

Scammers have also changed their tactics by sending messages that appear to warn recipients about fraudulent toll charges.

"They'll say, 'We saw a couple of toll violations related to your plate. If this wasn't you, just hit this button here,'" Dr. Skiba said. "That's actually the engagement."

Rather than investigating suspicious messages by interacting with them, Dr. Skiba recommends verifying any claims independently.

"Do your research, but without engaging," he explained. "Don't be a detective. Don't try to sniff it out if it's real or not. Do your research outside of engagement."

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