Authorities are warning residents about a surge in scam text messages tied to Richmond’s new all-electronic tolling system. The fake messages claim recipients from all over the Commonwealth, including right here locally, owe money for unpaid tolls or parking violations and threaten court action if payment isn’t made immediately. The confusion has led to real-world fallout, with dozens of people showing up at the courthouse there, over bogus summonses they never received. Officials say the clerk’s office was flooded with calls, and courthouse staff had to turn people away after confirming the texts were fake. The scam is spreading well beyond Richmond, with law enforcement and transportation officials stressing that legitimate toll bills are mailed—not sent by text—and courts do not demand payment through links or QR codes. The advice is simple: don’t click, don’t respond, and delete the message.
ed@edhisted.com
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.