What's a smish? This is a smish, phishing via text messages. They're coming fast and furiously lately, the latest template seems to be all about fake toll road fines. Trust me, SunPass, iPass and EZPass are not going to text you weird links to try to get you to pay up. They're definitely not going to text you from the UK (+44) or China (+86). And if you're really worried about your toll balance, go log into your SunPass or EZPass app and proactively look.
If you're curious, NPR covers this in more detail, including some suggestions on how to potentially block this stuff. Those suggestions aren't really magical or fantastic. This is one of those things, like keeping plastic out of the ocean (do you really think no longer using a plastic straw once in a while is going to magically end the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?) , where it's a problem requiring a solution above your level -- telecom providers need to get better about blocking this stuff, and not rely on end users to deal with it themselves.
Want to learn even more? This video from CNBC (linked here and embedded above) goes into even more detail, specifically explaining the connection between these scams and how cashless tolling billing systems work.
What's a smish? This is a smish, phishing via text messages. They're coming fast and furiously lately, the latest template seems to be all about fake toll road fines. Trust me, SunPass, iPass and EZPass are not going to text you weird links to try to get you to pay up. They're definitely not going to text you from the UK (+44) or China (+86). And if you're really worried about your toll balance, go log into your SunPass or EZPass app and proactively look.
If you're curious, NPR covers this in more detail, including some suggestions on how to potentially block this stuff. Those suggestions aren't really magical or fantastic. This is one of those things, like keeping plastic out of the ocean (do you really think no longer using a plastic straw once in a while is going to magically end the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?) , where it's a problem requiring a solution above your level -- telecom providers need to get better about blocking this stuff, and not rely on end users to deal with it themselves.
Want to learn even more? This video from CNBC (linked here and embedded above) goes into even more detail, specifically explaining the connection between these scams and how cashless tolling billing systems work.
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