Government Email Alerts Hijacked: Hackers Send Fake Toll Scams

Hackers have allegedly taken control of a U.S. government email system used for emergency alerts, sending out scam messages posing as unpaid toll notices. According to TechCrunch, Indiana state officials confirmed they're investigating emails that appeared to be from official agencies, tricking recipients into clicking links that led to phishing sites. The culprit? A compromised contractor account tied to a now-ended partnership with government tech company Granicus. Granicus, which powers the GovDelivery system, acknowledged that a user account had been breached but insisted its core systems remained secure.

Despite Indiana’s claims, Granicus denied any internal faults and said they could identify how many people received the malicious emails—though they haven’t shared those numbers yet. One fake message, seemingly from Indiana's Emergency Operations Center, directed users to a counterfeit TxTag site that stole personal and financial info. It’s a high-stakes example of how scammers are now weaponizing official government infrastructure to boost credibility. Always double-check URLs and avoid clicking links in unsolicited toll emails—no matter how “official” they look.
Source.