Perhaps you just took a road trip, or you rented a car on vacation. A few months go by, and you get a text that says you have a small outstanding toll amount due, and if you don’t pay, you’ll face a $50 late fee. There’s a link to settle. Be forewarned: It’s a scam. The FBI says it received more than 2,000 complaints about the toll scam in March and April, and the calls keep coming. It warns that the scam is moving from state to state across the country. The toll scam is based on “smishing” – using text messages to trick you into sending money or personal information through your phone including your driver’s license number and credit card data. With 700 miles of toll roads in the state, Florida is especially prone to such a scam, officials said. Officials there closed 10 fake websites in May that mirrored its SunPass site, which monitors toll payments across the state. The scam has also been reported in New Jersey, New York and Michigan, and the summer travel season is now in high gear. To avoid becoming a toll scam victim, the FTC suggests that consumers:

• Check with the legitimate toll agency in whatever state is at issue to see if the message is authentic. But don’t use the phone number from the text. Find the real one.
• Use your phone’s “Report Junk” option to label the texts as spam. The FBI says you can also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov, that includes the phone number where the text originated and the website it listed. Delete the text when you’re done.Don’t react immediately to a text.
• Slow down and read it carefully. Check online to see if others have reported a similar scam. Crooks expect you to act fast without thinking.

Be aware that most late toll notices come by mail, not by text. If you do become a toll scam victim, be sure to let your credit card company and banks know so they can monitor your accounts for identity theft.