The Minnesota Department of Transportation is warning people to watch out for scam texts telling recipients that they have outstanding E-ZPass fines.

The agency reports people nationwide are getting the scam. Texts tell recipients they have an invoice, bill or violation with Minnesota E-ZPass or another E-ZPass office. The messages often look urgent and say failure to pay will lead to a bigger fine.

The transportation department says Minnesota E-ZPass will never email or text users to ask for payment or personal information. If you’re not sure if a message or piece of mail is real, the transportation department says you should call and confirm before clicking a link or paying anything.

For anyone who may have already clicked a link or given information to a scam text, the transportation department advises checking security on personal information and financial accounts.

Individuals who do detect fraud are advised to contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or the Federal Trade Commission

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