Peach Pass scam: FBI receives complaints over fraudulent texts
I-Team: Peach Pass scam hitting many phones
Chances are you or someone you know received a threatening text that appeared to be from Peach Pass recently. The FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle explains what you need to know and how to check your actual balance.
ATLANTA - The FBI is warning Georgians about a wave of scam texts pretending to be from the state's Peach Pass system.
Investigators have said scammers have swiped thousands of dollars from residents who have been tricked by the fraudulent messages.
MORE: Countless Georgians hit with scam texts saying they owe Peach Pass, toll money
What we know:
The agency says the number of complaints to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center reporting smishing texts from what seems like Peach Pass has jumped dramatically since March 1.
The center has received over 1,500 complaints in March so far - nearly as many as the entire year before.
The reported losses stand at more than $3,600, but officials say they believe the actual number of victims is much larger.
Dig deeper:
The scam messages falsely claim recipients owe money on unpaid tolls or Peach Pass accounts, threatening penalties or legal action if they do not pay.
The scam texts include a seemingly legitimate URL — "MyPeachPass.com "— followed by random characters.
Ericka Bayonne, a spokesperson for the State Road and Tollway Authority, told FOX 5 earlier this month that the texts are phony.
"This is not Peach Pass," she said. "This is not the State Road and Tollway Authority."
What you can do:
Officials say if you receive one of these texts, do not respond or click any links included.
You can file a complaint with the FBI on IC3's website and include the phone number where the text originated and the website listed inside the text.
To make sure you don't have actual fees, you can visit the Peach Pass' website.
The Source: Information for this story was taken from a release by the FBI and previous FOX 5 reporting.