LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Sophisticated scammers have a bullseye on Kentuckiana because there are several toll bridges in the area.
They want to make drivers who pay those tolls victims to their scams, which come in the form of a text.Â
Kenette Middlebrooks and Brittany Hardeman have both received scam texts in recent weeks.
"Why am I receiving these annoying text messages," Middlebrooks asked.
"I've gotten like four or five, literally in the last two or three weeks," Hardeman said.
Local drivers are being inundated with the messages that claim they owe money.
"When you're receiving them several times a week, you know something's got to give," Middlebrooks said.
It's not just a problem in the Louisville area. The FBI put out a warning last month after thousands of complaints.
But the Kentuckiana area is a prime target because so many drivers cross the Ohio River bridges and use Riverlink, which has been warning customers of a text message scam since January.
"I don't know how they would have my cellphone information, so I thought twice before clicking it," Hardeman said.
Digital marketing expert Drake Hatfield said technology like artificial intelligence helps scammers become more sophisticated and reach more people.
"Our data is out there, whether it can be purchased legally or on the black market, either way our data is out there," Hatfield said. "It used to be that individual cellphones would send messages or creating fake social media profiles. Now they're doing it to scale because of AI, because of these farms that have been set up to do it on a much larger scale."
The increased use of cellphones has widened the list of targets.
"These scammers will prey on anybody," Hatfield said. "Age is not even a factor. It could just as easily happen to a young person who has their first cellphone as somebody who's retired and assisted living."
People shouldn't share their information and avoid clicking on spam links.
"The top thing is for us to not give them any additional information," Hatfield said.Â
Indiana Department of Transportation recommends people delete and report suspicious tolling-related text messages.
To report the spam messages to the Federal Trade Commission, click here.Â
INDOT will not send text messages related to unpaid or past due tolls.Â
Related Stories:Â
- Indiana officials warn Hoosiers to use 'extreme caution' if they receive toll-related text scam
- Don't Waste Your Money | Don't click that link! How to avoid costly text message scams
- Riverlink warning customers of text message scam
- Bullitt County Sheriff's Office shares warning about phone scam asking for money to avoid arrest
- Facebook hacker exploits Indiana woman battling cancer, RiverLink warns of fake texts
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