ST PAUL, Minn. — Drivers may hop into the toll express lane to breeze past slower traffic, but don't be too quick to respond to a growing scam involving allegedly outstanding toll payments.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is warning people about fraudulent email and text messages claiming to be from the E-ZPass toll payment service. The messages often arrive in the form of a photo with the E-ZPass logo, claiming a "recent journey" incurred a charge that must be settled "promptly to prevent any additional late fees," with a link.
"Don't respond," MnDOT said on the Minnesota E-ZPass website. "You could be duped into giving away sensitive data, including personal identity or credit card information. Minnesota E-ZPass will never text or email you for personal or sensitive information."
According to MnDOT, E-ZPass does not accept credit card information over text, email, or voicemail. E-ZPass customers are encouraged to interact with their accounts only through the official secure customer portal at ezpassmn.net.
The scam messages are also being sent to drivers who are not E-ZPass customers. MnDOT believes the phone numbers and emails are being chosen randomly. The agency urges people to report fraud activity to the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI.
Similar scams have been reported in recent months across multiple other states that utilize the E-ZPass toll payment system, including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York.
Minnesota converted to the E-ZPass toll payment system in 2021, after initially offering its own MnPASS system. Drivers can use an E-ZPass transponder to pay tolls to travel in marked express lanes during peak travel hours, while also using the same device on toll highways in several other states in the Midwest and East Coast.
