Watch Out For New Scam Involving Minnesota’s E-ZPass

The E-ZPass is designed to help motorists have a more reliable travel option during the busy weekday commuting hours, generally between 6 am and 10 am and 3 pm and 7 pm, Monday through Friday.

In recent visits to the Twin Cities, I've seen first-hand how the E-ZPass helps to move congested traffic along during rush hours.

While it can benefit motorists, it has also become a target for scam artists who are now using the E-ZPass to take advantage of people.

Fraudulent Activity Around The Minnesota E-ZPass

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, a recent scam involves emails and text messages.

Get our free mobile app

The messages, an example of which you can see below, appear to be from MnDOT and they will say that you have an invoice/violations/toll-by-plate bill from using the Minnesota E-ZPass Express Lanes.

Of course, as is often the case with scams like this, there is a link to click to pay your bill and avoid late fees. The link itself is suspicious because it ends with ".com", which does not match government agency website addresses. Also, MnDOT points out that Minnesota doesn’t have license plate tolling.

What You Should Do If You This Message

If you get a message like this, don’t respond or you could be tricked into giving away sensitive data, including personal identity or credit card information.

Minnesota E-ZPass reiterates that it will never text or email you for personal or sensitive information. For your security, they do not accept credit card numbers by mail, email, chat, or voicemail.

To be clear, if you receive a text or email requesting personal or sensitive information, it is a scam. Delete and don’t respond to it.

If you have questions or concerns regarding your account or a message you receive, check your account through the secure customer portal, or contact Minnesota E-ZPass directly.

The FBI suggests that anyone who receives suspicious messages should follow the five steps below:

1. File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
2. Check your account using the toll service's legitimate website.
3. Contact your toll service's customer service phone number.
4. Delete any messages received.
5. If you click any link or provide your information, make efforts to secure your personal information and financial accounts. Dispute any unfamiliar charges.

SEE NOW: Minnesota And Wisconsin Included In Massive New Sunscreen Recall