NY Thruway Authority: E-Z Pass customers targeted in text message toll scam

Emily Barnes, New York State Team

Do you have an E-Z Pass?

The New York State Thruway Authority is warning New Yorkers of a scam targeting E-Z Pass customers where scammers pretend to collect tolls through text messages.

According to the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York, which also includes Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse, over $11 million was lost due to over 9,000 reported phishing scams in 2023, in which scammers impersonate a trustworthy entity to try to get you to provide personal information.

Here's what to know if you receive a scam E-Z Pass-related text message.

What to do if you've received a scam text message

The fake text messages include a link to nytollservices.com, which the Thruway Authority says is not affiliated with the official Tolls By Mail NY, and may ask you to "take action now to clear your outstanding balance."

Scammers also may entice you to click the provided link by claiming you will be charged additional fees if you don't.

The Thruway Authority said they will never ask you for personal information and advises those who have received the phishing scam message to avoid clicking on the provided link and to delete the message.

How you can prevent scam texts and calls

Experts say registering for the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call registry helps as well as reporting calls and texts as spam, not just blocking them.

The Federal Communications Commission also adopted a new set of rules last year, which requires text messages appearing "to come from phone numbers that are unlikely to transmit text messages" to be blocked by mobile wireless providers and requires said providers to maintain a point of contact for customers to report wrongly blocked texts.

You can report texting scam attempts to your wireless service provider by forwarding unwanted texts to 7726 or "SPAM." You can also file a complaint with the FCC or a report to the FTC.

Here are more ways to combat scams, according to the FCC:

  • Block unwanted calls

  • Don't respond to texts from unknown numbers

  • Hang up on phone scammers

  • Never share sensitive personal or financial information by text

  • Look out for misspellings or texts that originate with an email address

  • Think twice before clicking any links in a text message

Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY Thruway Authority: E-Z Pass customers targeted in text message toll scam

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