PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Palm Beach Gardens woman says she cannot get answers from the Florida Department of Transportation after repeatedly receiving toll bills from roads that neither she nor her husband have traveled — and a security expert says the problem is more widespread than many people realize.
It started in March, when Vera Keswick-Paine went to her mailbox and found a toll bill for multiple tolls along Florida's Gulf Coast. The license plate number on the bill matched a temporary tag registered to her husband.
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"I handed it to my husband, and he walked out and said, 'This isn't me,'" Keswick-Paine said.
The confirmation came quickly. The bill referenced a black Mercedes and included a picture of it. The Keswicks drive a white Nissan, which has had a permanent tag for months.
Keswick-Paine filed a report with Palm Beach Gardens Police and said the situation quickly became more concerning than a bill for under $10.
"The guy runs a red light, the tag is in my husband's name. The guy hits and runs, tag is under my husband's name," she said.
Palm Beach Gardens Police said in an email that they consider the case an isolated incident. But personal injury attorney Doug Burnetti said the problem is far more common.
"It's happening a lot," Burnetti said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement does not have statewide data on stolen temp tags that is immediately available. Burnetti said that difficulty tracking the issue is part of what makes temp tag fraud attractive to those committing it.
"They're kind of off the grid, pretty much intentionally," Burnetti said. "To do criminal activity and avoid being caught. Another big one is getting the ability to drive without insurance."
Following police advice, Keswick-Paine did not pay the bill and instead filed a dispute with SunPass. A second invoice arrived anyway. SunPass eventually closed the dispute, but Keswick-Paine said she could not get confirmation that the matter was resolved.
"I tried calling SunPass again to say, what does this mean? Are we — are we good?'" she said. "I can't get through to anybody."
I reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation nearly a month ago. The agency acknowledged my questions but never answered them, despite multiple follow-up attempts.
"It's an exercise in futility," Keswick-Paine said.
Since Keswick-Paine reached out in April and showed her two monthly toll bills and subsequent disputes, she received a third toll bill.
Security consultant and retired police officer Gene Petrino said the nature of temp tag fraud makes it difficult to investigate.
"It's one of those things where it's just — it's a nightmare to follow the breadcrumbs of the crime," Petrino said.
Petrino said the best way to protect yourself from temp tag theft is to keep thorough records of any police reports and toll disputes. He also offered advice for when you are transitioning from a temp tag to a permanent license plate.
"You can destroy the tag yourself. You can cut it up into pieces. If you feel the need to surrender it to the tag agency, I would eliminate your information on there," Petrino said.
A new law in Florida kicked in last year that increased penalties for the fraudulent use of temp tags and made the tags easier for the state to track.
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