AG Nessel reissued her consumer alert on fraudulent text messages. These scams, which falsely claim recipients have unpaid tolls or outstanding tickets, are increasingly conning young adults by exploiting a false sense of urgency. Over the past year, the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team has received hundreds of complaints of fraudulent texts. Common versions of a toll or ticket scam include fake court notices, impersonations of government agencies, or fraudulent messages from private toll companies.

“Growing up in the digital age, scammers find that fraudulent text messages are an incredibly effective way to trick young people out of their hard-earned money. Many haven’t dealt with fraudsters before, so their first instinct may be to panic-respond to a message threatening to take their license, and out of embarrassment, they keep the experience to themselves. When in doubt, delete the text, check with the agency directly, and never let one of these messages rush you into handing over your personal information.” -AG Nessel