AG Nessel and State Transportation Director Brad Wieferich say while this scam isn’t new, it is becoming more prevalent in West Michigan.
Fraudulent text messages claim recipients owe unpaid tolls to the Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT. Many messages falsely state the text is a final reminder and threaten legal action if payment is not immediately made. Texts also include a fake link designed to resemble MDOT’s official website.
There are no toll roads in Michigan, and MDOT only collects tolls at three locations: the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, the International Bridge in Detroit, and the Mackinac Bridge. Toll bills for these facilities are sent by mail and never collected via text message.
Nessel reminds consumers that government agencies will never request personal information through email, over the phone, or text, and will mail you a notice if you owe money to the state while offering payment options.
If you’ve been the victim of a scam, you can file a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General’s website.
