Tue Jan 14 16:30:00 UTC 2025: ## MassDOT Warns of Smishing Scam Targeting Connecticut Toll Payers
**HARTFORD, CT –** The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is warning Connecticut residents about a resurgence of a smishing scam targeting toll payers. The scam, which first appeared last June, involves text messages falsely claiming unpaid tolls of $6.99 and demanding immediate payment to avoid late fees. The messages contain a malicious link designed to steal personal and financial information.
MassDOT stressed that it never requests payments via text message. Rocky Hill resident Harry Finer, who received one of the fraudulent texts, noted the giveaway signs: an international phone number prefix (“+63”) and the fact that he uses E-ZPass.
The scammers, experts say, target individuals whose phone numbers appear linked to tolling authorities, but lack specific personal information beforehand. They rely on victims clicking the link to harvest data.
MassDOT urges recipients of suspicious messages to:
* **Ignore and delete the message.**
* **Do not click on any links.**
* **Report the message to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.**
Individuals who have already clicked a fraudulent link are advised to immediately secure their personal information and contact their bank to dispute any unauthorized charges. MassDOT continues to emphasize the importance of vigilance in protecting personal data from online threats.
First Piper 