Nice of you to finally show up.
Gov. Kathy Hochul chimed in and issued a warning on an E-ZPass toll scam Sunday — nearly a week after other agencies sounded the alarm — while failing to mention it’s tied her controversial congestion pricing.
In her too-little, too-late email to the media, the governor warned that scammers are flooding cell phones with phony text messages asking motorists to pay off overdue toll fees or face the consequences — an attempt to cash in on confusion over the state’s congestion pricing plan that she ushered through.
“Public safety is my top priority, which is why I’m urging New Yorkers to take caution against senseless scammers sending fake E-ZPass text messages in an attempt to collect money for fake, unpaid tolls,” Hochul said in the statement. “Consumers should know that E-ZPass, or Tolls by Mail, will never send a text or email requesting personal, sensitive information.”
The scammers have been making the rounds for weeks, and most other agencies had already issued warnings, including E-ZPass administrators, as The Post reported last week.
Hochul neglected to mention that the scam appears to try to take advantage of her rollout of congestion pricing, which launched Jan. 5 amid confusion among drivers who motor into Manhattan.
The state-sponsored plan slaps a $9 toll on cars entering Manhattan below 61st Street during peak hours to try to ease Midtown congestion and raise money for MTA capital projects.
Hochul’s Sunday warning included statements from New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley and Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank Hoare, even though the authority issued its alert last week.
“Our focus is on protecting our customers from scams like these and ensuring that they use the correct payment methods,” Hoare wrote in the new warning.
