State government says hack caused overnight email blitz

(Adobe Stock)

Indiana state government technology and information officials on Tuesday said a series of spam emails sent overnight and into the early morning were the result of a former contractor being hacked.

Over several hours late Monday and early Tuesday, Indiana state government email newsletters sent spam messages claiming recipients have outstanding toll balances.

The email’s subject line is “TxTag Account Suspension Warning,” and recipients are directed to pay unpaid tolls of $5 or $6.69. The email also threatens penalties, such as vehicle registration holds, for failure to pay.

In a statement Tuesday, Indiana Office of Technology officials said the emails were scams and discouraged recipients from clicking on the links.

“The State does not send unpaid toll notifications via text or email messages,” the notice said. 

The emails are the result of a hack affecting a former state contractor, according to the notice. The statement did not specify the name of the company, but said the contract ended on Dec. 31, 2024. However, the company did not remove the state’s account.

Officials are not currently aware of any state systems being compromised, the notice said.

It’s unclear if all state government entities were impacted, but a large swath of agencies, boards and offices sent similar emails to IBJ. Several agencies sent multiple emails with the same message.

Those entities include the Governor’s Office, Department of Health, Family and Social Services Administration, State Comptroller, Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Department of Transportation.

More niche email lists were also affected, such as the Opportunity Investment Consortium of Indiana, the Emergency Operations Center and the Education Employment Relations Board.

Emails received by IBJ began just before 11:30 p.m. Monday and continued throughout the night and early Tuesday morning until about 7:40.