How to recognize EZDriveMass and EZ Pass phishing and smishing scams

On By Littum

QUINCY – My turn to receive the latest fraudulent “smishing” scam arrived at 9:27 a.m. Sunday when a text message popped up on my iPhone.

It told me I owed money for unpaid tolls on state roads. I drive a lot and sometimes use toll roads so I could have found it possibly trustworthy, but I had been warned about this one.

A colleague, Scott Bowdridge of Walpole, had warned me three days earlier. I was just a little late on the apparent robo message circuit. This EZDriveMass scam has been particularly active here since the beginning of January, according to digital coach Grace Buscher of Quincy. It was first reported in Massachusetts last June by the state.

The text messages claiming to be from EZDriveMA indicate the recipient owes money for EZ Pass charges, but are actually part of a “smishing” scam, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has warned.

Last Thursday, Scott had emailed me: “I got a text this morning from EzDriveMAand said I had an unpaid toll that would result in a huge penalty if not paid today. I ignored it because it should have been EZPass. Both my mother and I have had the post office a few times in recent weeks.”

Why is this scam called ‘smishing’?

The term “smishing” is a combination of “SMS” (short message service) and “phishing”. Smishing is a form of phishing, the fraudulent practice of sending messages disguised as a reputable source to get individuals to reveal personal and/or financial information, such as social security numbers, credit and debit card numbers, and account passwords.

How the EZDrive toll program works

EZDrive is Massachusetts’ all-electronic tolling program. That includes E-ZPassMA and Pay By Plate MA. The program operates without tolls on the Mass Turnpike (I-90), the Tobin Memorial Bridge, and the Sumner, Callahan and Ted Williams Tunnels. It has a smishing warning on its website.

I checked Massachusetts EZDrive website.

It says the Massachusetts Department of Transportation was alerted to a text message-based scam, also known as smishing, fraudulently claiming to represent toll agencies from across the country, not just Massachusetts. “The fraudsters claim to represent the tolling authority and request payment for unpaid tolls.”

The phone numbers targeted for these fake text messages “appear to be chosen at random and are not uniquely associated with an account or use of toll lanes.” Just because you receive a fraudulent SMS does not mean that there is proof that you have used a particular payment method.

I followed the advice given by the state.

  • Customers who receive an unsolicited text, email or similar message that purports to be from EZDriveMA or another toll agency should not click on the link.
  • The state provides advice on how to determine whether an EZDriveMA text message is valid.
  • EZDriveMA will never request payment via SMS

This particular smishing scam is part of a series of scams that the FBI is aware of. The FBI has recommended that people who receive the fraudulent messages do the following:

If you receive a fraudulent message, what should you do?

  1. Submit a complaint to the Internet Criminal Appeals Centre, IC3 and be sure to include:
    • The phone number from which the text originates.
    • Website listed in the text
  2. Check your EZDrive account using the toll service’s legitimate website.
  3. Contact the payment service’s customer service telephone number 877-627-7745.
  4. Delete all smishing texts received.
  5. If you have clicked on a link or provided your information, you must take steps to secure your personal information and financial accounts. Dispute any unknown charges.

Buscher, state and local police have urged people to be aware of all types of scams.

You can contact www.EZDriveMA.com with questions about EZDriveMA messages.

Looking back at the latest news, I saw that Swansea police was one of the early police departments to warn about this smashing scam. On January 10, Norwell police sent out an alert, with a photo of the text message on his Facebook page.

A few months ago, in early November Braintree Police Department also issued a warning about a number of text message smishing scams, saying: “SCAM ALERT: Smishing cases are on the rise.”

Scammers really want you to click and direct them to your personal information

Smishing has been described in various AI summaries as a form of cybercrime that involves sending deceptive text messages to trick people into giving away personal information or clicking on malicious links.

Victims are seen as more likely to click on links in text messages than emails and phone calls, due in part to advances in spam filters.

A fake text message may claim you’ve won a gift card from a major retailer. Or that a subscription or service is being terminated due to a payment problem. Or promote an app that sounds useful or entertaining but leads to malware.

How to protect yourself from smishing

  • Do not click on hyperlinks in texts from unknown or suspicious numbers.
  • Be wary of shortened URLs in SMS messages.
  • Do not reply to text messages from unknown or suspicious numbers.
  • Keep your phone’s operating system up to date.
  • Be aware of social engineering red flags, such as urgent messages or get-rich-quick fixes.

In Weymouth, Muriel Savoy Moloney, 94, relies on text messages to keep in touch with family and friends. She said she’s recently been getting text messages saying they’re “from UPS about packages they can’t deliver because they don’t have the right address.

“I just delete them,” she said. “I also don’t pay attention to emails or texts asking for information. If it’s legitimate, they’ll usually send a letter.” She previously worked in a bank in Boston and has a built-in filter.

Buscher said the fake postal text messages are especially prevalent during the holidays, when scammers know many people are sending and receiving packages.

Buscher says, ‘Trust your gut instincts’ and delete, delete, delete

Buscher said she has received calls from seniors who have received both the unpaid toll messages and other suspicious text messages about packages allegedly undeliverable. These fake messages always ask for information.

“The people who call me say, ‘I’m not even driving into Boston,'” Buscher said. “I tell them when they’re evaluating these messages, use your gut instincts. If it doesn’t sound right, or is too too good to be true, so delete it.”

Buscher did that when she received the text message with the unpaid toll.

Her husband’s phone number is one digit after her own and he received the same fake message shortly after she did. “It suggests robocalls were used,” she said.

Reach Sue Scheible at [email protected].