Urgent warning in NJ: Don’t fall for this E-ZPass scam

For those who already know about it, this is a friendly reminder. If you haven’t heard about it, this is a warning.

There has been an ongoing scam in New Jersey and other states against E-ZPass customers. For some time, it was in the form of emails. At some point, it moved into a text message scam.

Imagine you get this message sent to your phone.

"Your recent trip through the New Jersey toll point has incurred an extra $4.15 charge. To avoid late fees, settle your balance immediately at https://newjersey-ezpass.com."

Do NOT click on this if you receive it. It’s a fake website looking to get your sensitive information. The real E-ZPass website is www.ezpassnj.com. Besides, E-ZPass never sends email or text messages for this type of notice. It is always by mail. Snail mail. Not electronic.

Bad actors have even tried phone calls to tip people off, as it is mentioned in this advisory on the real E-ZPass website.

“NJ E-ZPass urges customers to be cautious with email, text, and phone scams demanding payment of outstanding toll balances,” the site reads. “There have been efforts to trick customers into sharing credit card numbers and other sensitive information by directing them to a website to pay their outstanding balances. NJ E-ZPass strongly encourages you not to click the link contained in those messages.”

The FBI has been on this, and they advise if you receive any emails or texts saying you owe money for an unpaid toll, do the following:

File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Unit at www.ic3.gov, including the phone number from where the text originated and the website listed within the text.

Check your account using the E-ZPass’s real website.

Contact the toll service's customer service phone number to report it.

Delete any texts or emails that you received from these scammers.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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