As more drivers hit the road for spring and summer travel, a new FBI alert warns consumers about an E-ZPass unpaid toll scam.
Text message scams are rapidly evolving and this new wave of “smishing” text scams is targeting toll users nationwide. What started with fraudulent texts posing as E-ZPass, EZDriveMA, or other toll collection services has now expanded into a full-blown wave of “smishing” attacks. These scams use SMS messages to impersonate legitimate organizations and trick victims into clicking malicious links or giving personal and payment information.
The FBI recently issued a warning about these smishing schemes, noting that fraudsters are moving from state to state, sending out spoofed messages that claim the recipient owes money for unpaid tolls. These texts often include familiar language like “outstanding toll amount” and appear to come from trusted transportation agencies.
But it doesn’t stop there. Cybercriminals are also using similar tactics to impersonate package delivery companies, utility services, and even security alerts—preying on urgency and fear to get victims to act fast.
If you get a text message that looks like it’s from E-ZPass toll system that says you owe money for tolls and need to pay immediately, don’t fall for it. They do n’t want your small fine fee, they want your personal identity information.
The FBI warns consumers to not click on any of the text and email scams, but delete them immediately from your Android or Apple phones.
“Phishing scams are designed to create a sense of panic, catching the receiver off guard and causing them to react before thinking,” warned DMV Director Amy Anthony. “I urge everyone to think before you click on links of any kind, especially those requesting money, payment, personal information, credit card details, social security number, or anything else that could be used negatively.”
According to the FBI, the definition of smishing is a social engineering attack using fake text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information or sending money to cybercriminals. “Smishing” combines “SMS”—or “short message service,” and “phishing.” “Phishing” generally pertains to attacks on the internet, email, or websites.
Anyone who receives a suspicious text or email can file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), ic3.gov. When filing, include the phone number from where the text originated and the website included in the text.
