Unfortunately, criminals continue to create new types of scams that they inflict upon the public. There are two scams that have become popular of late. One involves the fraudulent claim of unpaid turnpike fines via text messages. The other scam involves email and phone fraud.
Recently, the Ohio Turnpike Commission (OTC) released the following statement regarding the texts to pay tolls scam:
“The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission is reminding mobile phone users everywhere to be aware of a resurgence in fraudulent texts from scammers requesting payment for unpaid tolls through fake websites. The fraudulent texts are sent randomly to mobile phone users in various area codes and attempt to impersonate the website addresses of toll agencies across the country. The Ohio Turnpike does NOT send text messages requesting payment for unpaid tolls.
The Ohio Turnpike will only notify you of an unpaid toll through the U.S. Mail … If you’ve received a suspicious or fraudulent text, do not click the link or provide any personal information.” All suspicious text messages should be deleted without clicking any links. Anyone who clicked a fraudulent link and provided personal information should immediately contact their bank or credit card provider to secure their financial accounts.
If you receive a text message claiming you have a toll payment due, please be aware that this is likely part of an ongoing, nationwide texting scam. The Ohio Turnpike does NOT send text messages requesting payment for unpaid tolls. The Ohio Turnpike will send up to three invoices by U.S. Mail to collect unpaid tolls. To report a texting scam, contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at wwwic3.gov and be sure to include the phone number from where the text originated and the website listed within the text.”
The North Royalton Police Department also issued a statement, via Facebook, reiterating the OTC notification. They posted that “recently, several residents have advised that they received suspicious texts requesting payment for unpaid tolls. THIS IS A SCAM. These texts are almost always from out of State numbers, lead to a fake website, and are part of a nationwide texting scam.” They went on to state that “you should never respond to unsolicited texts or emails and before clicking on any links, ask yourself: Have I been on the Turnpike recently? Don’t I have an EZ Pass attached to my car?”
The Turnpike scam is one of many scams that are ongoing. “We’re still seeing a PayPal email scam,” said North Royalton Police Chief Keith Tarase. In mid-March, a North Royalton resident informed police of the fraud.
The victim told police that his computer had been remotely locked out after he responded to an email that PayPal owed him money. He clicked on the link in the email and then followed the steps that were instructed. A pending check was then deposited into his bank account in the amount of $28,000.00.
The victim then received a phone call, who told him that he had locked his bank account and computer. He told the victim that he would unlock the account and computer after receiving $10,000.00. The victim was instructed to put the money into a small box and meet the “bag man” at the Circle K located on Boston Road in Brunswick. He was instructed to turn on his hazard lights and a male, called “Homer,” would identify his vehicle. The victim was given a code word “Honda” to say to Homer. The male is described as a Caucasian, approximately 30 years old. The victim handed over the $10,000.00 and was called again, saying that they only received $4,500.00 and that they needed to meet up again for the remaining balance. The victim then contacted the police and an attempt was made to set up another meet, but caller stated he had to coordinate details before he could meet.
According to the PayPal website, “any request for urgent or immediate action, especially from an odd or unfamiliar sender, should be avoided. Never open attachments or click links, even if it’s to unsubscribe. If you’re not 100% certain who’s emailing or texting, don’t reply.”

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer