Agencies warn of turnpike toll scams

[wanderer2575]

As the summer vacation season kicks off later this month, drivers might want to be on high alert for yet another travel-related scam, which oddly enough, relates to toll roads.  It's a scam that is heating up already this spring.

What do you do if you get a text that purports to be a message from a state toll road collection system?  And it says you owe roughly $12 now in toll fees but you must pay it immediately to avoid a $50 late penalty?  You might even be given options to Click Here to quickly pay that lingering toll with a credit card or bank transfer.

Best bet:  Don't do it.  Ignore the fake text.

All sorts of consumer watchdogs, toll road systems, and law enforcement authorities are warning about an uptick in a turnpike scam.  Consumers who are spotting these texts say they look fairly legitimate, somehow suggesting a new way of addressing toll charges.  But it's a scam.

Detroit Free Press article:  No, you did not just get a real text to pay unpaid tolls.  It's a scam.

[GaryV]

This is important enough to report in Michigan, where at least 99% of drivers don't go on any toll road during any given month of the year?

[epzik8]

This is important enough to report in Michigan, where at least 99% of drivers don't go on any toll road during any given month of the year?

A lot of those folks imaginably go on road trips that involve usage of the toll roads in Ohio/Indiana/Illinois/etc.

[jeffandnicole]

This scam is basically just being sent to random emails or text numbers in all 50 states. But newspapers, and the media in general, like to "localize" their reporting to make it appear it's only happening to people in their own state or area.

[GaryV]

This is important enough to report in Michigan, where at least 99% of drivers don't go on any toll road during any given month of the year?

A lot of those folks imaginably go on road trips that involve usage of the toll roads in Ohio/Indiana/Illinois/etc.

Sure they do from time to time, but it's a rare enough occurrence that they would remember doing so. A dunning text showing up would be known to be wrong.

[Life in Paradise]

I received one of these texts a couple of weeks ago within 10 days of making a quick two way trip from SW Indiana to Cincinnati taking the (is it I-265 or not) loop across the Ohio River at Louisville.  I never responded, but thought it was strange that I was getting a text, since I had my Ez-Pass unit in my windshield.  I did look it up and determine it was a scam, but it was just a bit too convenient in timing.

[wanderer2575]

This is important enough to report in Michigan, where at least 99% of drivers don't go on any toll road during any given month of the year?

A lot of those folks imaginably go on road trips that involve usage of the toll roads in Ohio/Indiana/Illinois/etc.

Sure they do from time to time, but it's a rare enough occurrence that they would remember doing so. A dunning text showing up would be known to be wrong.

If they bother to look into it, and that's a big "if."  Especially since it's a fairly low amount, and those using an E-ZPass aren't given a toll ticket showing upfront what the toll amount should be.