Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission warns about phishing scam targeting E-ZPass users
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is warning E-ZPass customers about a scam targeting users with text messages asking for personal financial information.
The texts say they're from "PA Turnpike Toll Services" and include "urgent requests" about the accounts' overdue balance and coming late fees, according to a release from the Turnpike Commission.
Joanne Bateman, who lives in Delaware County, said she was eating breakfast Monday morning when she received a suspicious text about having an overdue balance on her E-ZPass account.
"I deleted it immediately," said Bateman, who had learned about the scam Sunday night while watching CBS Philadelphia.
Bateman said she would have likely clicked on the link had she not recently heard about the scam. Instead, she spent Monday warning her family and friends about the suspicious text messages.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said they've received hundreds of calls about the fraudulent text messages.
"They center around urgent requests about the account being overdue, needing to pay a fee or they'll have to pay a late fee and there's a link. That link sends them to a fraudulent page that takes their credit card or payment information there," said Crispin Havener, a PA Turnpike Commission spokesperson.
The PA Turnpike Commission says you should not click on the link if you receive a text or email message like that saying it's from E-ZPass or another toll agency. Similar scams have been reported by toll agencies across the country in recent days, the statement said.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said it was not a data breach on their end and it appears the scammers are targeting any Pennsylvania phone numbers.
"It just seems like it was just a random batch of numbers that they're casting a wide net and hoping somebody bites," said Havener.
For E-ZPass customers, there are multiple approved safe methods to check your account — the official PA Turnpike E-ZPass website or the PA Toll Pay app from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
Customers who get a fraudulent message can report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
