Thought this was worth posting as a warning just in case.
" Beware of this treacherous scam on the highway
France is removing toll barriers and making travel more convenient. But it is precisely this change that criminals are turning into a gold mine.
You come back from a summer vacation, your mobile phone vibrates: “Ulys – Toll: a balance of 6.80 euros remains to be paid. Please pay within 48 hours, otherwise a fee will apply.” The logo is the right one, the colors are the right ones, and indeed, you took the A13 towards Normandy two days ago. So, quickly, you pay before it gets expensive. It is precisely this reflex that scammers are currently targeting, and they succeed with frightening efficiency.
The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin is now officially warning of a wave of fake toll requests on French motorways. The A13 between Paris and Caen and the A14 are particularly targeted. Precisely the sections taken by many Swiss to get to Normandy, to the Atlantic coast or to Paris. The warning therefore applies just as much to you.
First, the barriers disappear, then the fraudsters arrive
For several years now, France has been switching to a so-called “free-flow” toll system. Instead of stopping at a barrier and taking a ticket, you simply pass under a gantry that records your license plate by camera. The bill comes only afterwards. You must pay the costs yourself within 72 hours, online on the operator’s website, at a vending machine or in a tobacconist’s shop. Less traffic jams, more comfort. But also a totally new logic that many travelers have not yet assimilated.
And it is precisely this uncertainty that constitutes the business model of the scammers. Anyone who has driven a barrier-free section expects an additional payment. When a text message with a small amount to be paid arrives, it doesn’t seem suspicious, but logical. The scam works not in spite of the new system, but because of it.
Why is this trap so credible?
The fake messages are carefully made. They bear the logos of well-known operators such as Ulys or Vinci Autoroutes. The tone is sober and official, the amount claimed is almost always in the harmless range of five to ten euros. Added to this is the pressure of time. If you don’t pay immediately, you risk a reminder fee or account block. The link in the message then redirects to a page that looks very similar to the real page. And every credit card number you enter there lands directly with the scammers.
What is treacherous is that all this reasoning is in fact based on reality. In France, anyone who really neglects to pay their toll risks a fine of up to 375 euros in the event of a prolonged delay. It is this very real threat that makes the false raise particularly effective. Vinci Autoroutes and Ulys certainly stress that there was no data leak and have filed a complaint. But fraudsters don’t need stolen data. They simply send their messages on a large scale and wait for someone to click on the link, panicked.
This is what real messages look like
There are clear characteristics that allow you to distinguish a serious message from a fake one. Real carrier emails end exclusively with official domains such as @ulys.com, @vinci-autoroutes.com, or @services.ulys.com. When in doubt, carefully examine the sender’s address, not just the display name. Genuine SMS messages only come from the short number 36035 or the sender “VINCI”. A message from a classic French mobile number is almost always an attempt at fraud.
But the most important distinguishing feature is something else. No official operator sends you a direct payment link via SMS or email. Payment is always made via the respective customer portal. For example via sanef.com for the A13, A14 and A4 or via aliae.com for the A79. If you think you have an outstanding fee, type the address into the browser yourself, enter your registration number and check if there is an amount due. Never click on the link in the message.
How to avoid falling into the toll trap
- Genuine payments are never made via a link in an SMS or email, but always through the operator’s official customer portal (e.g. sanef.com or aliae.com).
- For emails, check the full sender address: only domains such as @ulys.com or @vinci-autoroutes.com are trusted, not just the display name.
- Genuine SMS messages come exclusively from the short code 36035 or the sender “VINCI”; Any message from a mobile number starting with 06 or 07 is suspicious.
- Don’t let the small amount and urgency fool you – those who threaten you with a block or a reminder fee want to prevent you from thinking.
- If in doubt: enter the operator’s address yourself in the browser, log in with your registration number and check whether there are indeed any unpaid fees.
- If you don’t pay the toll, you risk a fine of up to 375 euros. For this reason, free-flow fees should always be paid within 72 hours via the official channel.
- Have you already entered your data? Call your bank immediately to have your card blocked, then report the case in Switzerland via antiphishing.ch to BACS."
Not sure if anyone using a tag might be targetted as well, but of course you should know that payment will be taken direct from your bank account/credit card already when you use one of those.
Be careful out there folks.