Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, in collaboration with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, has announced the successful shutdown of 11 internet domains linked to a smishing scam. This scam targeted individuals via text messages claiming unpaid parking or toll balances, directing them to an official-looking website to harvest personal and financial information.
The Virtual Currency Unit of the Brooklyn DA’s Office identified and dismantled the fraudulent domains after receiving complaints about text messages asking for a nominal fee to settle supposed outstanding balances. These texts contained links to realistic-looking websites where victims were prompted to enter sensitive information such as their name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and credit or debit card number. This information was then used for identity theft or sold on the Dark Web.
District Attorney Gonzalez emphasized the importance of being wary of unsolicited messages requesting money or personal details. “People should be very suspicious of any unsolicited text message or email requesting money or personal information, and never click on links without knowing the sender,” he said. He commended the swift action of the Virtual Currency Unit in dismantling the fraudulent domains.
Mayor Adams reiterated the administration’s commitment to protecting New Yorkers from such scams. “This administration will not sit idly by while bad actors attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting New Yorkers,” he said. He reminded the public that official entities like the Department of Finance and NYC City Pay will never request payments via text message.
The investigation began when a detective received a suspicious text message requesting a small fee to settle a balance. Subsequent complaints revealed the operation as a smishing scam, a form of phishing that uses text messages to solicit personal information. Within 24 hours, the DA’s Office identified and took down 11 related domains through a court order.
The dismantled domains include:
- nycitypay.com
- newyorktollbymail.com
- tollsnewyorkbymail.com
- tollwebmail518ny.com
- nytoll585.com
- nyaccounttoll.com
- mailny8291.com
- nytollbymail.com
- nytolls2229.com
- nybymail.com
- ny1ezpassexpress.com
Individuals who responded to the scam are advised to freeze their accounts, activate a credit card freeze, notify their bank and credit card provider, and monitor their finances closely for unusual activity.
NYC Cyber Command will continue to partner with the DA’s Office to keep New Yorkers informed about similar scams and provide necessary information to protect against identity theft.
