This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
If you get a text from E-ZPass saying you owe extra money, ignore it – it’s a scam trying to steal your identity.
That’s the word from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, which says it has heard of residents getting text messages telling people to click on a link to settle outstanding tolls. The link goes to a fraudulent website designed to gather people’s information.
“NH E-ZPass will never send text messages requesting payment for tolls with late fees,” the group said in a press release. “Similar scams have been reported by toll agencies across the country over the past several months.”
This type of fraud is called “smishing,” which stands for SMS phishing. SMS, in turn, stands for “short message service” such as texting, while “phishing” is the term for an online scam that is fishing for people online who can be tricked into giving away personal information.
E-ZPass account holders can use safe methods to check their accounts such as the official NH Turnpike E-ZPasswebsite or the NH E-ZPass app.
Those who receive a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. That is a site dedicated to sharing information on internet crimes across law enforcement agencies. Recipients can also forward the suspicious message to 7726 (SPAM) to alert their mobile provider.
