RICHMOND, Va. – Drivers, beware! The Virginia Department of Transportation is issuing a warning about an ‘unpaid toll’ text scam circulating in various states nationwide.
Since March, various complaints have been submitted to the FBI regarding these fraudulent texts. VDOT says scammers are pretending to represent toll road collection services and demanding money for unpaid tolls.
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The text message typically contains a link that impersonates a toll facility’s or collection service’s name. If you received an unsolicited text message suggesting it is from E-ZPass Virginia or a specific toll facility in Virginia, do not click the link. Doing so could expose you to the risk of having sensitive data stolen, including your credit card information.
As of now, VDOT is not aware of Virginia residents receiving these smishing messages; however, if you suspect that you’ve received a scam text, here’s how you can proceed:
- E-ZPass account holders and toll customers can check their accounts and pay tolls by going to the Toll Roads in Virginia website and E-ZPass website
- Contact customer service representatives for the appropriate facility to validate their toll balance along with upcoming or past-due payments
- 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
