The Minnesota Department of Transportation is warning motorists to steer clear of fraudsters impersonating the agency as part of a nationwide E-ZPass text message scam.
Driving the news: The “final notice” texts, which have popped up nationwide, instruct users to click a link to pay off an outstanding toll balance.
- The messages warn that failure to pay could result in the user being “penalized or subject to legal action.”
What they’re saying: “It is a scam,” MnDOT spokesperson Anne Meyer told Axios. “MnDOT E-ZPass would not reach out to you via text on any level to receive payment from you.”
Between the lines: Meyer said reports of the E-ZPass scams, which have been circulating in Minnesota for at least a year, typically pick up around peak travel times.
- MnDOT officials suspect the recent spike—and the first-time use of its name in scam texts and payment links—may be tied to spring break season.
The bottom line: “Don’t click the link,” Meyer said.
Zoom out: Americans lost billions more to fraud last year
