The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) is once again warning Kansans to be cautious of fraudulent text messages regarding unpaid tolls. Despite nearly a year of alerts, these scam messages continue to target random phone numbers, regardless of whether the recipient has used a toll road or owns a vehicle. The texts falsely claim a penalty is pending and include links to fake websites that resemble legitimate toll payment sites, such as DriveKS.

“We do not send unsolicited text messages about tolls,” said Donnell Brown, KTA’s Senior Customer Service Manager. “A person only receives a text if they have a DriveKS account and have signed up for text notifications in their account preferences. Then, the person is required to login to their DriveKS account to view their statement and/or pay a bill.”

Kansans receiving unsolicited messages claiming to be from KTA, the Kansas Department of Transportation (which does not collect tolls), or other toll agencies should avoid clicking any links. Instead, they should report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission or the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. If payment information has been shared on a fraudulent site, individuals should immediately contact their bank or credit card company.