A big phishing scam is spreading across the U.S., hitting one state after another. Las Vegas and Phoenix are the latest cities to get warnings from the FBI. This scam, believed to come from Chinese hackers, involves fake toll charges and isn’t slowing down. But now, there’s an even worse scam on the rise.

The FBI says criminals are pretending to be law enforcement or government workers to trick people into giving them money or personal information. These scams might come through email, using fake FBI logos or even photos of the FBI Director to look real. But most of the time, it’s a phone call. The scammers can fake caller ID, making it seem like the call is from a real government number.

The FBI’s advice is simple: hang up right away and report the call to the police. It might seem obviously fake, but scammers can sound convincing and catch people off guard. Remember, real law enforcement will never call or email you to demand money or threaten arrest.

There are a few ways these scams work. The FBI gave some examples:

  • Saying you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay.

  • Asking you to send money to help catch a criminal.

  • Telling you to wire money to another country or use crypto or gift cards.

  • Claiming your Social Security number is frozen or you’re due an inheritance.

These scams are similar to earlier “phantom hacker” calls, where scammers pretended to be from your bank and told you to move your money to a “safe” account. Just like that, no real bank or tech support will ever call you out of the blue asking you to move money or fix your computer.

A new warning has come from the FBI’s Philadelphia office about scammers pretending to be law enforcement. But just like the fake toll scams, this is a much bigger problem happening in many places.

Last week, the San Francisco Police warned the Chinese community that some people are pretending to be local health workers, U.S. government workers, or even police officers from China.

Some of these scams even use video calls where the scammers wear Chinese police uniforms and have fake police station backgrounds. Victims are told to download apps like Signal or Skype to talk more about a fake crime or fraud.

Earlier this year, scammers also pretended to be ICE officers, using fear about immigration and deportation to demand quick payments. Scammers love using big news events to trick people. So now, we might see more scams related to tariffs in the near future.

Even though this new scam is serious, it’s not as bad as the ongoing unpaid toll scam, which keeps getting worse. Scammers are using more state and city names to trick people. A special phishing kit, written in Chinese, is helping these scams spread fast.

Chance Caldwell, from the cybersecurity company Cofense, warns that people should know their personal devices can be at risk. It’s very easy for scammers to fake phone numbers and pretend to be someone they’re not.

Watch out for a rise in scam text messages, experts warn.

Bleeping Computer says there’s a big increase in a mobile scam where people get fake text messages. These messages have become so common that many people are getting annoyed, with some receiving up to 7 scam texts in one day.

Security expert Caldwell explains that “smishing” (SMS phishing) is a growing threat because almost everyone uses a phone and checks text messages often. Scammers send these messages to random numbers, knowing many people will read them. Unlike emails, texts are not as well protected, and companies can’t control what their employees do on their personal phones the way they can with work email.

One Reddit user said they’ve been getting scam texts every week for months. Another person pointed out that this scam is very popular right now because it’s easy for scammers to run and still makes them money.

Max Gannon from Cofense says you should protect yourself by not clicking on links right away. Instead, look up the link online to see if it’s real—especially if the message claims to be from a bank or government office. Another warning sign is if the message was sent to a group or other people. Gannon said he got scam messages that were clearly sent to multiple people, making it obvious they were fake.

Once scammers have your phone number, they may keep sending messages. One person shared that they got a strange text about unpaid tolls, even though they don’t drive on toll roads. The texts kept coming, all with different dates and shady links. Even after deleting them, they just kept coming back.

Malwarebytes warns that this new scam about toll payments is spreading fast. It tries to scare you by saying you only have a short time to act or there will be serious consequences. Some people are getting up to 7 of these messages a day.

Important tip: No real official—like a police officer, bank worker, or tech support person—will call or text you out of nowhere to ask for personal info, make you download something, or demand money. If you’re unsure, hang up and call the official number yourself or check online using a trusted source.

Gannon adds that smishing is growing because it’s not well protected by company security systems. Also, most training on online safety focuses on email, not text messages. Some apps like Google Messenger help filter scam texts, but better protection is still needed. He says phone companies also need to do more to stop scammers from using their networks.

Caldwell agrees and says SMS is less secure than email because there’s not enough pressure to improve it. Email services are expected to protect big businesses, so they work harder on security. But SMS services are treated more like basic utilities, so they don’t face the same demands.

Finally, the FTC reminds everyone: if you get a text about an unpaid toll bill, it’s almost definitely a scam. Don’t click any links, don’t give out information, and don’t send money. If you’re not sure, contact the toll agency directly using a phone number or website you trust.

Published: 9th April 2025

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