Photo: CBS 12
The Martin County Sheriff's Office warns about a scam that's hitting residents' cell phones.
They are text messages claiming to be from the Department of Transportation and using "intimidating language to make their claims seem legitimate."
But Sheriff's officials say they are an attempt to "deceive and exploit."
An example of a text message that was received on Monday reads "Please pay your toll in Florida by January 21, 2025. In order to avoid excessive late fees and potential legal action on statements, please pay the tolls in time. Thank you for your cooperation and wish you a pleasant holiday."
There is also a fake Sunpass link followed by a request for the receiver of the text to reply "Y" for yes.
We have confirmed that this is NOT exclusive to Martin County, with several people from Palm Beach County telling us they received the same message.
Authorities say if you should ignore the link and never respond to text messages or letters like this and do not provide personal information.
If you ever have questions about late tolls, you should reach out to Sunpass or the DOT directly.
