TRENTON, N.J.
— State officials are warning New Jersey residents about a new SMiShing scam involving fraudulent text messages that impersonate the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission and EZ-Pass.
According to recent reports, individuals across the state have received messages falsely claiming they owe payment for traffic tickets, face license or registration suspension, or risk credit score impacts and toll increases. The texts contain deceptive links using terms like “ezpassnj” and “gov” to appear legitimate.
Authorities say the scam is designed to trick recipients into clicking on malicious links or responding with a “Y” text, which redirects users to a fake website that collects personal and financial information.
Agencies clarify communication policies
Officials stress that the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission does not send text messages regarding tickets or registration problems. Similarly, EZ-Pass only sends payment-related texts if an account has been referred to Credit Collection Services (CCS), its official collections partner.
Residents are advised not to click on suspicious links or respond to unknown messages. Instead, individuals should directly access the official websites of EZ-Pass or the NJ MVC to verify any concerns.
Suspicious texts can be forwarded to 7726 (SPAM), and incidents should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), or the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC).
Authorities urge vigilance as scammers continue to target drivers with increasingly convincing schemes.
