Got a suspicious E-ZPass text? It's a trap – how to spot the scam

A new “smishing scam” is targeting people for their personal information under the guise of unpaid tolls.

Scammers, purporting to be from E-ZPass or other toll providers (like SunPass, Peach Pass, or EZDriveMA), are sending fraudulent text messages asking for toll payments and urging recipients to click a link to settle their bills.

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The messages usually threaten that if the person does not pay their balance, they will face consequences such as incurred fines or losing their license entirely.

How to spot the E-ZPass scam

Luckily, the scam isn’t hard to spot. The texts come from a random number or even an email address featuring a link with a suspicious, shortened URL and insist that urgent action must be taken to address the unpaid toll in question.

Like the scam text pictured above, the scammers usually text from a +63 country code for the Philippines.

The texts also tend to demand small payment amounts. The threatening, urgent tone of the messages and the requirement of only small payments are effective strategies for scammers because toll payments are generally small amounts, and most people expect scammers to demand more.

But it’s not really about the money; the scammers are after your identity. The fake link will direct you to a site where scammers scrape your personal and financial information for their own purposes.

What to do if you get the E-ZPass scam text

Do not click any links. Report the scam text as spam or junk, and delete the message.

If you already clicked the link and sent payment information, you should immediately contact your bank and credit card companies to freeze or monitor your accounts. You should also consider freezing your credit as a general precaution to keep scammers from opening accounts in your name.

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If you only clicked the phishing link and didn’t input personal information, cybersecurity pros at NordVPN recommend putting your phone or laptop in airplane mode, scanning it for malware, backing up your data, and changing your passwords. Read more about their recommendations here.