VDOT warns E-Z Pass users of familiar ‘smishing’ scam
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is warning E-Z Pass users of a familiar 'smishing' scam asking for people's financial information through text messages.
A 'smishing' scam is defined by the FBI as a scam that comes in the form of a text message.
This type of scam, in particular, may be familiar to some Virginians -- as E-Z Pass users got similar messages sent to them in August 2024.
While the general idea of smishing messages is similar across the board, there are certain aspects of the texts that can change. Several different examples of what these messages can look like are featured below.
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Overall, these particular messages aim to convince victims that they have an overdue balance on their toll account and that they should pay that balance right away through the link included in the message.
VDOT posted a warning on Facebook the morning of Monday, March 3, informing people that toll bills will never be sent from VDOT or the Virginia DMV by text message. The department is urging people to never give away financial information over text.
If you have received text messages about toll bills, you can click here to validate them.
