It’s easy to get caught up in this.

Officials from the state’s transportation department are alerting drivers to beware of an E-ZPass scam that has emerged since the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched its contentious congestion pricing initiative in New York City last month.

Scammers are dispatching text messages impersonating official communications, claiming recipients have an “unpaid toll invoice.” These messages threaten that failing to make a payment soon could result in “substantial late fees.”

Transportation representatives urge residents to not be misled by these messages.

“We have recently become aware of an SMS messaging scam that appears to be an effort to collect tolls for the Congestion Relief Zone, also known as the Central Business District Tolling Program,” states an alert on the official E-ZPass website.

The alert explains, “Some messages refer to ‘NY Toll Services,’ while others may utilize different made-up names. This is NOT a legitimate communication from E-ZPass or the affiliated toll authorities.”

“We advise you to avoid clicking on any links or accessing any websites mentioned in these messages,” the alert cautions.

This scam appears to be capitalizing on the recent rollout of Governor Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing strategy, which commenced on January 5. This initiative has led to considerable frustration and confusion among drivers entering Manhattan.

The state-supported program imposes a $9 toll on vehicles entering Manhattan below 61st Street during peak hours. This initiative aims to reduce Midtown congestion while generating funds for MTA capital projects.

These scammers are now attempting to extract additional funds from unsuspecting drivers.

“I had hoped the MTA would send a warning via email to all E-ZPass customers, advising them to be cautious of such scam texts and to avoid clicking on any links,” stated Corey Bearak, a senior policy advisor for the group Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free, in an interview with The Post on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, that has yet to happen,” Bearak mentioned. “Is the MTA too preoccupied planning on how to address the lack of transparency around Congestion Pricing Tax revenues?”

Other transportation authorities that collaborate with E-ZPass have also issued warnings, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as the New York State Thruway Authority.

Additionally, Westchester County DA Susan Cacace issued another warning this week.

In the meantime, E-ZPass is advising potential victims of these scams to take necessary precautions.

Transportation officials emphasize that legitimate E-ZPass communications will never request “personally identifiable information” such as your Social Security number or date of birth. According to the notice, “Authentic messages from E-ZPass New York will only refer customers to the official websites: EZPassNY.com and TollsByMailY.com.”

If you encounter this fraudulent SMS and wish to report it, you can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov.

The MTA has not responded to inquiries for comment at this time.