The FBI has issued a warning to Americans to delete certain text messages immediately, as Chinese cybercriminals are suspected of being behind these scams. The texts claim that recipients have unpaid tolls and include links to supposedly legitimate websites.
According to the FBI, these are phishing attacks, or smishing attacks, which target people’s personal information. In April, the agency received over 2,000 complaints about similar scam messages and warned Americans not to click on any links or respond to unexpected texts.
Local governments, including cities in Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Colorado, Florida, and Montana, have also issued warnings about these fake text messages. The city of Great Falls, Montana, even warned its residents about receiving such texts despite not having toll roads.
Security experts believe that Chinese cybercriminals are behind at least some of the scam text messages. Cybersecurity expert Chris Krebs said that a Chinese cybercrime group began offering new phishing pages designed to spoof toll operators in various US states after the New Year.
If you’re concerned about accidentally not paying what you owed, the FBI advises checking your toll service account independently using the legitimate website or contacting the customer service phone number. Do not click on any links contained within the text message.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14378113/fbi-cyber-security-warning-delete-messages-texts-look-for.html