Crime & Safety
VA E-ZPass 'Smishing' Scam Returns, Targets Toll Road Drivers
Virginia officials said bogus texts are coming from scammers claiming to represent E-ZPass Virginia or a specific state toll facility.
![Virginia officials are warning residents about another smishing scam that uses text messages to target E-ZPass users in the state.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/shutterstock/566479/20240813/015507/styles/patch_image/public/shutterstock-2077252___13135444683.jpg)
VIRGINIA — Virginia officials are warning residents about another smishing scam that uses text messages to target E-ZPass users in the state.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, the texts are coming from scammers claiming to represent E-ZPass Virginia or a specific state toll facility. The texts claim the recipient owes money for unpaid tolls and direct them to click on a link to pay the outstanding balance.
Smishing — a way to deceive and steal from people through text messages — is short for “SMS phishing.”
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The scam text looks similar to the example displayed below:
![](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/566479/20240813/014641/styles/raw/public/processed_images/455024934_895100559311901_2407960680275002701_n.jpg)
E-ZPass users should not click on any links in the text, officials said.
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Anyone receiving the texts should validate any tolls owed with the Virginia Department of Transportation or E-ZPass website. After doing the above, users should delete any scam texts they receive.
Those who believe they received a smishing text about tolls due can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and include the phone number of the text message as well as the web link listed within the text.
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