NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – New Yorkers are receiving fraudulent SMS messages demanding urgent toll payments, tricking recipients into clicking malicious links, officials warned Thursday.
The SMiShing scam, disguised as an attempt to collect tolls for the Congestion Relief Zone, has been circulating via text messages. These messages falsely claim that recipients must make an immediate payment to avoid fines or penalties.
The scam messages come from +63 area code numbers, which are associated with the Philippines, raising concerns about international fraud targeting New York residents. One example of the scam message reads:
"Pay your FastTrak Lane tolls by February 14, 2025. To avoid a fine and keep your license, you can pay at [fraudulent link]."
Some messages reference “NY Toll Services”, while others use fictitious names to appear legitimate.
“Please be advised this is NOT an authorized communication from E-ZPass or the Toll Agencies associated with E-ZPass,” reads a statement on the Tolls By Mail website. “We advise you NOT to access the website contained within the message if you should receive one.”
Authorities also emphasized that E-ZPass New York will never ask for a customer’s date of birth, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information. Legitimate toll-related communications will only refer customers to the following official websites: EZPassNY.com and TollsByMailNY.com.
New Yorkers who receive these fraudulent messages can report them to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.ic3.gov.