Good day, folks! We hope this new month of March finds you happy and well. We know here at eTags that we’re very much looking forward to Daylight Savings Time. That extra hour of sunlight is always a truly welcome thing, isn’t it?
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Speaking of sun, we wanted to direct our good friends in Florida to a pretty important bulletin. While this is not breaking news, per se, it is crucial enough to bear the dedication of an entire blog post. You see, it’s come to our attention that there is a significant fraud campaign affecting Florida drivers.
Let’s start from the beginning. If you live in the state of Florida, chances are pretty high that you are familiar with SunPass. But in case you need a refresh, here is what it is: SunPass is a statewide toll program that allows drivers to prepay tolls electronically on an individual account. This prepayment then goes towards fees incurred while using the state’s toll roads, bridges, and managed lanes.
While driving on any toll-collecting road, drivers are automatically charged the corresponding fee by the overhead transponder, which deducts that specific amount from the prepaid balance. And when a balance gets low, you can simply top it up.
The benefit of having a SunPass account are:
- Receiving a 25% discount on tolls
- Not having to stop or slow down to pay
- Not needing to keep cash or correct change in your vehicle
- The ability to use the SunPass device at other toll agencies – meaning, you can fly through tolls in any other state where E-ZPass is accepted. That’s twenty-one states and counting.
The SunPass device comes in two forms: one that is permanently attached to a windshield, and the other that can be moved from one vehicle to another. The stick-on transponder is a more economical, but the slightly higher fee for the portable device is great if you’re one person who switches between a car and motorcycle, for example. SunPass devices and prepayment options can be accessed and obtained online, by phone, or in person at different retail outlets. 
Now, let’s get back to the issue that inspired this post to begin with. Let’s say you’re not from Florida and you don’t have a SunPass in your vehicle. Or let’s say you’re just not so technologically inclined and haven’t purchased the transponder. Well, seeing as how there are hardly any actual, physical toll booths left in the state of Florida, how do you pay tolls?
Well, folks driving vehicles without a SunPass (or E-ZPass) device are photographed by overhead cameras – their license plates are the focus of the photograph, by the way – and then will receive a bill in the mail from the agency in charge of collecting Florida roadway fees. This process is a regular occurrence and is called Toll-by-Plate. It simply uses the registered address associated with the pictured license plate and issues a Toll Enforcement Invoice via mail. USPS. Snail mail.
We make this distinction of how the Toll Enforcement Invoice arrives, because it lies at the heart of the fraud that’s taking its toll (pun intended) on Florida drivers of late.
You see, SunPass themselves have issued a warning to the public about something called Smishing. 
Smishing (what a term, eh) is when criminals use text messages to try and force you into remitting payment electronically for a bogus reason. These dishonest folks will try and convince you of some dire emergency or outstanding bill that must be paid post-haste, or else. They will usually assume the name of a friend or relative, pretend to be the IRS or a utility company, or in this case, SunPass.
We’ve seen examples of such text messages, and they read as follows:
“The Toll Roads Notice of Toll Evasion: You have an unpaid toll bill on your account. To avoid late fees, pay within 12 hours or the late fees will be increased and reported to the DMV.
https://sunpass.com-etc-bzhz.top/vip
(Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser and open it)
The Toll Roads team wishes you a great day!”
Or:
“SUN PASS Alert – Your vehicle has an unpaid toll bill. To avoid excessive late fees on your bill, please settle it promptly. Thank you for your cooperation!
Total amount: $6.99
Now Payment: https://sunpass.com-qfp.world/us
(Please reply Y, then exit the SMS and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link to your browser.)”
Neither of the above messages are authentic, valid, or legal.
SunPass themselves have created an informational document to address this scam and to educate people on what’s actually going on. You can access the PDF here.
So, that said, we wanted to let our friends know to never, ever respond to any text message about tolls in the state of Florida: SunPass will never contact you via text message! Your best bet is to delete the message immediately, without clicking on any links. If you can, it might be best to block the number from which the message originated. For more information, check out the SunPass document, or contact them directly with any questions or concerns regarding tolls, billing, or devices.
Florida’s Attorney General is also well aware and working diligently to help stop the SunPass scam, and if you’d like to check out their data and progress, or for recourse options, you can start here.
And there it is. We hope this has been helpful for you – it certainly was an enlightening subject for us. And if you find yourself in need of other sorts of assistance with regard to titles and registrations, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Cuz, you know…at here eTags, we’re here to help!
