The big three right now: tolls, packages, and bank alerts
Most scam texts tell one of three stories. An unpaid toll you need to settle (SunPass, E-ZPass, and the like), a package that is stuck and needs a small fee or your address, or your bank flagging a suspicious charge. They all want the same thing: for you to tap a link and type in your information.
A real toll or delivery never texts you a pay-now link
Florida's SunPass, the post office, and your bank do not send a text with a link and ask you to pay or confirm details right there. When one of these lands, do not tap it. If you genuinely wonder whether you owe a toll, open the official app or type the website address in yourself, never go through the text.
Look at the sender and the link, not just the message
Real companies text from short business numbers, not a random ten-digit cell or an email address. And the link almost never goes where it claims, it will be a strange web address dressed up to look official. If the sender or the link looks off, that is your answer right there.
Urgency plus a tiny dollar amount is the tell
Scam texts push you to act fast over something small: a $6.99 toll, a held package, a charge you do not recognize. The small amount makes it feel harmless to just pay, and the urgency stops you from thinking it through. That combination, hurry plus a small ask, is the scam's signature.
Do not tap, do not reply, just delete it and report it
Tapping the link, or even replying STOP, tells scammers your number is live and worth more. The safe move is to delete it. On most phones you can forward the message to 7726 (it spells SPAM) to report it to your carrier, and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then get on with your day.
Tapped a link you wish you hadn't, or want help locking down your phone and accounts? I help folks across Central Florida sort this out calmly, and set things up so you are harder to fool next time.