Greg Underhill, of Clayton, North Carolina, was shocked to receive over $1,000 in tolls — from states he says he’s never even visited. Toll agencies in Maryland, New York and New Jersey allege his trailer passed through tolls, with toll cameras capturing images of what appeared to be his license plate.

At first, Underhill thought it was a hoax, as his trailer had not left his property. His wife, Temperance, tried to call customs for an answer.

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“I tried to reach them, got stuck in the on hold loop, never got to talk to anyone. One time I was on hold for 27 minutes,” she told reporters.

Underhill then visited the DMV, where staff claimed they had never seen a problem like this before. Suspecting someone had duplicated her license plate, the Underhills filed a fraud report with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Department and turned the tag over to the DMV to prevent further charges. Despite those efforts, the tolls went to collections, with late fees pushing the total to close to $1,000.

“Ghost plates” a common tactic

After failing to resolve the issue on his own, Underhill reached out to ABC11 troubleshooter Diane Wilson for help. She noticed an important detail: the license plate on the customs pictures showed signs of tampering. The “8” on the sign in the toll booth photos was actually a “9” that had been altered to look like an “8”.

This is a common tactic used to create “ghost plates”, especially in states with automatic toll cameras. For the Underhills, this scam quickly spiraled, with tolls increasing in several states. Once the bills went into collection, their credit was at risk, and the extra fees made the financial impact even worse. Even worse, in some states unpaid tolls can result in license suspension.

Fortunately for the Underhills, Wilson was able to help solve their case. With evidence of fraud, customs dismissed the charges and notified the police that they would be looking for the altered plate.

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License plate fraud can be a major headache

License plate fraud can create serious financial and legal problems. Fraudsters may duplicate plates to avoid tolls, evade law enforcement or commit more serious crimes without detection. If your plate is duplicated, as in Underhill’s case, you could be liable for violations, tolls or fines, which could damage your credit and cause legal problems.

With just your registration number, fraudsters can access details such as your vehicle’s make, model, VIN number, mileage, accident history and sometimes even criminal history. Even if some of this information is visible on the road, fraudsters don’t need to see your car to access it – they just need the license plate number. Using this data, they can create elaborate scams, even tracking your name and car type on social media or linking it to personal information from public records or data leaks.

For example, they can run your license plate and find your name and the type of car you own. They can then search for your name on Facebook and can see your vehicle in the background of your profile picture, plus where you went to school, where you work and even find family members. Combining this with information from data leaks and public records can lead them to your home address, phone number and more.

To protect against license plate fraud, regularly check toll information for unexpected charges and report any discrepancies immediately. Consider monitoring your credit report for any unexpected hits, which could signal unpaid tolls or debt collection violations.

If you suspect your license plate has been duplicated, report it to both your local DMV and the police and consider requesting a new plate. With proactive measures, you can limit the risk of fraud.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.