JERSEY SHORE – No, you don’t owe money to EZPass or whatever other toll company you got a text about. Officials are warning you to ignore those texts, or report them.
The text tells you to pay your tolls by a certain day to avoid a fine and risk losing your license. Then it directs you to a bogus website where it records your information and demands payments.
Sometimes the sender claims they are from EZPass. Lately, a lot of these spam texts come from “FastTrak.” FasTrak is the company that monitors tolls in California.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority said they first learned of the scam on April 11, 2024.
“This scam does not appear to target New Jersey E-ZPass customers. The bogus text messages are being sent to phone numbers in New Jersey area codes regardless of whether the recipients are E-ZPass account holders,” they said.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) noted that they’ve been getting reports about these scams since March of 2024. The details change, but the scam is still the same.
They suggest you delete the texts at a minimum. If you’re interested in filing a complaint, you can visit ic3.gov, and fill out information on that site. You must include the phone number that sent you the text. Also let IC3 know what website they wanted you to go to.
If you have already clicked on the link they provided or if you have given them any information, do whatever you can to secure your personal information and financial accounts. Dispute any unfamiliar charges that show up on your bank account.
Phone & Internet Scams
You might be scammed by someone you never even lay eyes on. Officials gave these tips on how to protect yourself:
- Check your account using the toll service’s legitimate website.
- Contact the toll service’s customer service phone number.
- Delete any texts like this.
- Never open emails from someone you don’t know.
- Never follow the instructions given by someone you don’t know.
- If you are told there is a problem with your bank account, computer, utilities or similar situation, call the phone number on your official statement. Don’t call the phone number provided by a warning message.
