Grand Canyon Times

No, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is not contacting you about overdue tolls. A text message circulating that mentions "AZDOT" and demands money is a scam.

There are several indicators that this message is fraudulent. Firstly, Arizona's state highway system does not have toll roads. Additionally, the phone number linked to the text originates from another country. The website address in the message includes azdot.gov but extends into another domain that suggests it is a scam. Furthermore, ADOT refers to itself as ADOT, not AZDOT, and avoids using broken English phrases like "Now Payment."

This type of scam is known as "smishing," according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Smishing involves cybercriminals attempting to deceive individuals into sending money or sensitive information by using road tolls as a pretext.

If you receive such a text, one option is to recognize it as a scam and delete it. iPhone users can also hit Report Junk. As advised by the FBI, do not click on any links within a scam text.

You can also file a complaint with the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. When filing a complaint, include the phone number from which the text originated and any website listed within the text.