FBI Warns Massachusetts E-Z Pass Drivers

If you drive up to Boston, even occasionally, it is so much more convenient to have an E-Z Pass installed on your windshield to take care of paying your tolls.  While the archaic practice of having a toll booth operator is long over, not having an E-ZPass can cost you dearly.

If your car doesn't have an E-Z Pass, the state will mail you a bill (along with a picture of your car and license plate).  I can't tell you how many times a $4 bill has turned into a $34 bill because I forgot to pay it on time and got slapped with hefty late fees.  So annoying!

However, there's also a risk associated with your E_Z Pass of which you need to be aware.  Text messages are arriving on the phones of Massachusetts residents claiming that a payment is past due.  The MassDOT says the targeted phone numbers were chosen at random and weren't "uniquely associated with an account or usage of toll roads."  The most important part, however, is that E-Z Pass customers who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from EZDriveMA or another toll agency should not click on the link.

This is just part of a nationwide scam targeting E-Z Pass drivers.  According to WGP in New Jersey, the FBI has also issued a warning saying that they've seen tens of thousands of complaints since this spring.

If you believe you may have been a victim of this smishing scam, the FBI is asking you to alert the Internet Crime Complaint Center by filling out this form.  If you encounter one of these smishing texts, the FBI suggests that you delete it immediately.  Don't even look at the website.