“Smishing” Scams Are a New Problem for People Driving to Disney World. Here’s What You Need To Know

While a 6.5–7 hour drive may seem unpleasant for most people, it’s how I choose to get to Disney World!

Yes, I could take an hour-and-a-half long flight instead, but flying makes me nervous, and the Atlanta Airport isn’t for the faint of heart, so I choose to drive. However, if you’re planning to drive to Disney World as well, there’s a scam you need to be well aware of because, if not, scammers could fool you like they almost fooled me!

When you drive to Disney World, there’s a strong chance you’ll travel on toll roads, meaning that if you’ve already got a toll account and something stuck on your car, it’ll be charged to that. For me, that’s SunPass, but there are a few different types out there.

However, if you don’t have an account already, no worries, they’ll send you a bill in the mail afterward and use “toll by plate.” This means that the camera will register your license plate, see you don’t have a toll account, and will instead look at the mailing address connected to your car and send the bill there.

There’s a new scam going around, though, via text, called a “smishing” scam, that will tell you that you have unpaid tolls that need to be taken care of. I personally got TWO of these on my most recent trip to Disney World, and I won’t lie to you: for a moment, my heart dropped, and I almost fell for it.

These scam texts often make it sound like something awful and nefarious will happen if you don’t pay these “outstanding tolls,” such as you’ll owe MORE money. But then I caught myself, and I remembered that I have my SunPass account set to automatically renew $10 when it drops below $5, meaning that unless there’s an issue with my bank account, it’s not possible for me to have outstanding tolls. I logged onto my SunPass account and sure enough, everything was completely fine.

The links you’ll see inside these scam text messages will take you to a fake site and ask you to put in sensitive information, such as your credit/debit card information, name, address, and more, and can then steal that information to make purchases under your name and steal your identity.

So how can you avoid these scam texts or block them when you see them? According to NPR, you should register your phone on the National Do Not Call Registry, and if you receive an unsolicited text, OBSERVE (but do not click on — NEVER click on!) the URL or email address you were sent to see if there are any small typos or uppercase/lowercase letters where there aren’t supposed to be — this is one of the biggest telltale signs of a scam. You can’t be victim to a scam just by opening a text or email, only if you click a link you were sent, or open an attachment, so avoid either of those actions.

Yes, this means that even if there’s a link to “opt-out” of future texts or emails, you shouldn’t click that either, as it can install malicious malware that can infiltrate your phone. If you’re really struggling to determine if something is a scam or not, look up the actual phone number for the company the text/email is posing to be (such as SunPass) from their official website and give them a call. Sometimes, it’s best to go straight to the source, but be sure you’re ONLY using the phone number on the official website.

Other options include:

• File a complaint about the scam text with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Use your phone’s “report junk” option or forward them to 7726 (SPAM)
• Delete the text as soon as it comes in

Scam texts can always seem a little scary, I know, but it’s always best to pause, don’t give into the urgency they’re making you believe is there, and check in with the actual company if you believe something could be wrong. As always, stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest information to help you best plan your upcoming Disney vacation!

I’ve Taken My Family to Disney World 16 Times. Here’s How I Start Planning.

Would you prefer to drive or fly to Disney World? Tell us in the comments!

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