The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that if you received an unsolicited text message claiming you owe money for unpaid tolls, it’s probably a scam.

According to the FTC, these scams work by posing as a tolling agency and sending a dollar amount that the recipient supposedly owes. They often include a link to a page instructing recipients to enter their bank or credit card information, which can then be used to steal money or a person’s identity.

Cybersecurity experts say the messages could be linked to Chinese perpetrators.

According to security website KrebsOnSecurity, the surge in SMS messages coincides with new features added to a commercial kit sold in China. The kit supposedly teaches people how to conduct spoofing scams, which is the practice of setting up fake websites designed to make potential victims believe they are interacting with a legitimate agency.

Ford Merrill, a security researcher at London-based SecAlliance, believes the schemes are related to other recent package delivery scams perpetrated by Chinese cybercriminals.

“What we’re seeing with these toll scams is just a continuation of the Chinese smishing groups rotating from package redelivery schemes to toll road scams,” Merrill told KrebsOnSecurity.

Widespread scams have imitated various tolling agencies around the U.S. in recent weeks, including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s EZDriveMA system and Florida’s “Sunpass” prepaid toll program — and also here in Maryland.

In a statement, DriveEzMD warned those receiving suspicious messages to not share any personal information. The agency will never request payment via text message, according to the statement.

The FTC recommends that recipients contact the state’s tolling agency if they’re concerned, avoid clicking on any links in unexpected texts, and report and delete unwanted text messages. Users can report unwanted texts to their messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM).

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.