RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is warning residents about ongoing scam text messages related to unpaid tolls and E-Z Pass accounts.
Authorities state that if you have received a message claiming legal action or a penalty for an unpaid toll, it is likely a scam aiming to steal your money and personal information.
Virginians like Kyrie Dibling-Moore report a significant influx of these scam texts.
“It’s literally, I mean, it’s got to be nine out of 10 people you talk to have it,” she said, expressing concern over the deceptive messages.
The fraudulent texts often come from various phone numbers and emails. They claim to be toll road notices or final reminders for unpaid tolls, urging recipients to click a link to pay immediately or face penalties, late fees, or reporting to the DMV.
“It’s creepy. It’s a little scary to be honest with you, because they are not giving up,” Dibling-Moore added.
The DMV emphasizes that they will never send text messages regarding toll bills and warns residents to avoid responding to these urgent messages. The agency advises individuals to verify any unexpected texts by reaching out directly to E-Z Pass before taking any action. If the message is identified as a scam, they recommend reporting it as junk, forwarding it to spam, and deleting it.
Dibling-Moore considers herself fortunate to have recognized the scam. She expressed concern for those who might fall victim to these scams.
“Who’s behind all this? E-Z Pass needs to do investigating,” she noted.
As of now, the DMV and VDOT are still investigating who is behind these scams and how they obtained personal information. For more tips on protecting yourself from scams, visit our website at wtvr.com.
To validate customer service inquiries, visit Virginia Toll Roads or for additional information concerning Virginia’s toll facilities and your E-Z Pass account, go to Virginia Toll Roads.
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