MONTPELIER, VT — The Montpelier Police Department is warning residents about fraudulent text messages claiming recipients owe unpaid Vermont tolls and threatening license or registration suspension without immediate payment.
Police said the messages are scams.
Vermont does not collect fees through text messages, according to police.
Official agencies like the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles or Vermont Agency of Transportation will not demand payment through random text links, police said.
The urgent tone, legal threats and suspicious web addresses are red flags meant to create panic and trick people into sharing financial information, according to police.
Police advise residents to slow down and not panic, check official websites directly by typing the address rather than clicking links, verify with agencies using phone numbers from official sites, and report scam texts by forwarding them to 7726.
Residents should not click suspicious links, provide personal, banking or license information, or reply to the messages, police said.
Even replying “STOP” confirms a phone number is active, according to police.
Residents who clicked a link should monitor bank and credit card statements immediately, contact their financial institution if they entered payment information, and consider placing a fraud alert on their credit, police said.
Residents unsure whether something is legitimate can call the police department’s non-emergency line, according to police.
