Scammers are back at it, folks! This time, they’ve decided to impersonate toll road agencies, sending out texts that are as shady as a two-faced friend in a group chat. State officials are waving their red flags, urging people to avoid these so-called smishing scams that could rob you blind.

According to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, don’t even think about tapping on that text. If it looks suspicious, it probably is. Murrill took to Facebook to declare, “It is a SCAM”. Wise words, Liz! If you’re getting messages that appear to be toll collection notices, just delete them faster than you’d swipe left on a bad Tinder match.

Even states that are as toll-free as a vegan cafe have noticed an uptick in these scams. “We don’t have tolls in Vermont, but travelers might confuse these scams with actual toll operators from other states,” warned Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark in her own attempt to keep the streets clean from cyber-pirates.

The cyber ne’er-do-wells behind these scams have registered over 10,000 domains, according to cybersecurity experts at Palo Alto Networks. That’s not just a number; it’s a digital army aiming to swipe your sensitive information! They’re impersonating toll services and even package delivery services across at least 10 states and Canada. How charming.

And let’s talk about Apple. While they work hard to keep our iMessage chats relatively safe by banning links from unknown senders, these scammers are trying to outsmart the system by asking users to respond with a “Y”. Hold up, if these texts had a face, we’d kick it.

The FBI previously issued a warning about these underhanded messages that threaten fines or even suspended driving privileges if you don’t cough up the cash. The crime fighters told recipients to report the scams and flush those messages down the digital toilet. Unfortunately, as of now, no new updates from the FBI, but stay vigilant, everyone!

In a world where it seems like you can’t trust anyone, especially a random toll text, take Liz and Charity’s advice: when in doubt, delete it out. No tolls, no troubles, just smart cyber habits! Stay sassy and safe out there, Bay Area!