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How to spot tech scams: fake toll texts, pop-ups and phone scams

By Matthew DeRicco, Glen Cove. Updated October 2026.

Scammers have gotten good. The messages look real, they create panic, and they push you to act before you think. As a local tech, I clean up after these all the time, so here's how to recognize the most common ones going around right now, and exactly what to do (and not do) when one lands.

The fake "unpaid toll" text

This is the fastest-growing scam of 2026, and on Long Island, E-ZPass country, almost everyone has gotten one. The text claims you have a small unpaid toll (often a few dollars) and includes a link to "pay now and avoid a late fee." The link goes to a fake site built to steal your card and personal info.

How to spot it: real toll agencies like E-ZPass bill you by mail or through your actual online account, never a one-time text link. The small dollar amount is deliberate; it feels too minor to question. If you never drive toll roads and still get one, that's a dead giveaway.

What to do: don't tap the link. If you want to check your toll account, type the real E-ZPass web address in yourself. Then forward the scam text to 7726 (which spells SPAM) to help your carrier block it, and delete it.

Scary computer pop-ups and fake virus warnings

You're browsing and suddenly the screen fills with a flashing warning: "Your computer is infected! Call Microsoft support immediately!", sometimes with an alarm sound. It's fake. Real security software never puts a phone number on screen and tells you to call.

What to do: don't call the number, and don't let anyone who contacts you take remote control of your computer. Close the browser (on Windows, Ctrl+Alt+Delete to force it closed if needed). Don't type passwords into anything the pop-up opened. If one of these got you to install something or hand over access, that's worth a real cleanup and malware removal, and change your passwords from a device you trust.

The "tech support" phone call

Someone calls claiming to be from Microsoft, Apple, your bank, or your internet provider, saying they've "detected a problem" with your computer or account. They want remote access or payment, often in gift cards or an odd payment app. No real company cold-calls you like this.

What to do: hang up. If you're worried it might be real, look up the company's actual number yourself (not one the caller gives you) and call them directly. Never give remote access or pay anyone who called you unexpectedly.

Other scams going around

• Fake delivery texts, "Your package couldn't be delivered, click to reschedule." Same trick as the toll text. Check with the carrier directly.
• "Account suspended" emails, urgent messages pretending to be from Amazon, Apple, PayPal or a bank. Don't click; go to the real site yourself.
• Grandparent / family emergency calls, a panicked voice (sometimes AI-cloned) claiming a relative is in trouble and needs money now. Hang up and call the family member directly.

The one rule that stops most scams

Almost every scam works the same way: it manufactures urgency so you act before you think. A real company, agency, or bank is fine with you hanging up, checking independently, and calling back. A scammer is not. When a message pushes you to click, call, or pay right now, that pressure itself is the warning sign. Slow down, verify through a channel you trust, and the scam falls apart.