PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The E-ZPass scam came first by text, and now it’s coming through emails, and they look realistic.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is cautioning people about another scam in which fake emails involving unpaid E-ZPass tolls are being sent out. This follows similar fake texts that showed up previously.
One of our own WAVY managers got an email about unpaid tolls. 10 On Your Side sent it over to VDOT’s central office. Like us, they were surprised by how real the scam looked.
David Caudill, who oversees the VDOT’s Tolling Operations Division, said the initial scam in the form of text messages popped up across the Commonwealth last week. His office took 650 calls related to the fake texts.
The email, like the one our executive producer received, however, is a new concern.
“The scammers did a good job,” Caudill told 10 On Your Side. “They matched the color; they’ve got our logo on it. It’s very disappointing, right? It’s misleading to people and it sends them down the path that they can be taken advantage of.”
VDOT does not have an E-ZPass “collections division” or a “collection manager.”
“There’s a lot of people that get caught up in those traps,” Caudill said.
Caudill said the unpaid E-ZPass toll scam isn’t unique to Virginia. It’s happening nationwide, and it has even popped up as far away as Australia.
“It’s hard,” Caudill said. “These scammers are good and you’ve got to really be careful—especially with those embedded links.”
The FBI is investigating the scam and asks anyone who received a text message or email to report it here.
“If you’re not certain that it’s valid, you can always call us, E-ZPass Virginia,” Caudill said, “and we can walk you through it and help you determine if its a valid email or not.”
The number to call is 877-762-7824.