The government of Midland County and the Midland County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) have issued warnings to residents regarding two new text message scams.
In a Facebook post dated February 24, Midland County cautioned the public about a scam involving text messages purportedly from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) concerning outstanding toll charges. According to TxDOT, "TxTag does not send emails or text messages to customers regarding balances due," and they advise individuals not to click on links or respond to suspicious messages. More information on this scam can be found at https://shorturl.at/SV26j.
On February 25, MCSO alerted citizens via Facebook about another scam related to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Permian Basin law enforcement agency reported that this scam involves a text message claiming the recipient is eligible for a $1,400 economic impact payment. The sheriff's office explained that the message includes a link asking for personal information, "after which, the scam promises to deposit money into the victim’s account or send them a paper check within 1-2 days."
The IRS does not send text messages stating individuals are eligible for payments, according to MCSO. They advise anyone with suspicions about such communications to contact the sheriff’s office.