E-ZPass 'Final Notice' Texts Are A Scam. Don't Pay.

This morning, Americans all across the country received a text message warning them of a "final notice" to pay their E-ZPass toll balance to avoid "legal action." 

And yesterday. And the day before.

According to the FBI, fraudsters have bombarded phones nationwide with an E-ZPass text scam, instructing users to click a link to pay off an outstanding toll balance. 

But it is just that: a scam.

Vehicles travel though a toll plaza on the New Jersey Turnpike on March 1, 2025, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Since early March 2024, the FBI has reported more than 2,000 complaints using road toll collection. The agency issued an alert this week, reminding recipients not to respond or pay the balance.

"The texts claim the recipient owes money for unpaid tolls and contain almost identical language," the alert reads.

"The 'outstanding toll amount' is similar among the complaints reported to the IC3. However, the link provided within the text is created to impersonate the state's toll service name, and phone numbers appear to change between states."

Check your unread text messages. Messages like the following are likely in there, somewhere:

The practice is called "smishing," a version of "phishing" that emphasizes the use of SMS or text messages. According to the Sun, fraudsters have targeted other phone users for supposedly unpaid phone bills, credit card bills, and missing or undelivered packages.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation also alerted motorists this week about the racket. 

"It is a scam," MnDOT spokesperson Anne Meyer told Axios on Thursday. "MnDOT E-ZPass would not reach out to you via text on any level to receive payment from you."

Meyer said reports of the E-ZPass scams, which have been circulating in Minnesota for at least a year, typically pick up around peak travel times. MnDOT officials suspect the recent spike—and the first-time use of its name in scam texts and payment links—may be tied to spring break season.

"Don't click the link," Meyer warned.

And also do your best to avoid roads with tolls, like so many of the highways in Ohio. You will be late, no matter how early you leave.