In a concerning development, officials have warned of a scam involving fraudulent emails claiming to be from Indiana state agencies regarding unpaid tolls. Earlier today, the Indiana Office of Technology confirmed a breach involving a former state email provider, leading to scam emails about toll road fees, as reported by IndyStar. According to their statement, "These messages are scams, and users should not click on any of the links."
Emails began hitting Hoosiers' inboxes late Monday night, which initially cast doubt on whether the vulnerability was linked to the state or GovDelivery, an email management platform formerly utilized by state agencies. Citing an investigation by FOX59, it turned out that some emails were traced back to neglected accounts that still mentioned Gov. Eric Holcomb, despite Gov. Mike Braun having stepped into office earlier this year. Such dealings with outdated information, being sent from cyber archives as if they are relics wrestling with the present's reality, seem oddly juxtaposed.
The content of these fraudulent communications further muddles the situation, as recipients are falsely informed of outstanding toll fees under threat of vehicle registration suspension. In a bizarre twist, the message beckons payment via a link, signed off by 'TXTag Customer Service'—a legitimate entity, but one that hails from Texas, not Indiana. According to Indiana Public Media, the scam campaign was active through Tuesday morning following its Monday night inception.
State officials are actively instructing recipients to disregard these messages and are emphasizing the importance of maintaining vigilance against such deceptive practices. Confirming the infiltration, the Indiana Department of Technology pointed towards a contractor's hacked account used as the source of the messages, reported FOX59, with the inherent implication that the very channels meant to serve and protect are, in this instance, turned against the citizenry through cyber subterfuge.
