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When it comes to hoaxes and scams, we have all encountered them before. A scam I have encountered on multiple occasions is FasTrak fees that need to be paid. Being from California we have fees for driving in certain lanes or going over bridges. I’m always driving over bridges in order to see my friends and boyfriend and I get charged $8.50 each time I cross. One day I got a very real looking message from FasTrak saying I have an outstanding toll that needs to be paid, and if not paid, there would be some sort of repercussion. Now being in Highschool at the time I didn’t have enough common knowledge that it was fake and freaked out a little bit. Good thing I talked to my mom, and she reassured me that it was a scam and to never put my information in anywhere unless I know it’s an official website. Obviously, the purpose of this scam is for people to make money. There have been multiple times I have almost fallen for it, until I realized I wouldn’t be the one getting charges for it, but instead it would be my parents. In the event you were to get a message from FasTrak claiming you have fees that need to be paid, realistically they wouldn’t be messaging you at all. You get a direct charge to your account that just gets pulled from whatever account/card you have on file. Now with AI being so mainstream, it makes scamming ten times easier and seem more real. The best way to avoid these scammers is to never put important information in any sketchy websites and always double check to make sure you’re not falling for any scams.