Linkt scam emails and texts: how to spot the fake unpaid toll message
Quick answer
Emails and texts that claim to be from Linkt about an unpaid toll, a suspended account or an account on hold are scams. Linkt says its payment reminders always ask you to log in to your account. Don't click the link. Check your balance in the Linkt app or on linkt.com.au instead.
- Pretends to be
- Linkt
- First reported
- Latest official alert
- (Linkt)
- Last updated
How it works
Scammers pretend to be Linkt, the toll-pay brand run by Transurban, which is itself a victim of the impersonation. Linkt's security page describes several waves:
- Unpaid toll invoice emails (January 2025). The email says you owe tolls and links to a fake website where your personal and payment details can be stolen.
- Suspended account emails (May 2025). They claim your account is suspended over an overdue amount. The link goes to a Linkt-branded fake site. Linkt says these emails can carry wrong account numbers and sender addresses it doesn't use.
- Outstanding balance messages (August 2025). They say you must pay within 12 hours.
- Toll road text scams (May 2026). Linkt reports an increase in texts imitating toll operators and demanding urgent payment.
- "Account on hold" emails (August 2026). They say your account is on hold and a payment is needed to restore access, with links to fake sites that closely copy Linkt's.
The fake sites collect card details and personal information, then the scammer uses them.
Red flags
- A message about an unpaid toll, suspended account or account on hold that you didn't expect
- A link to pay, with a short deadline such as 12 hours
- A sender address that isn't one of the trusted addresses on Linkt's site
- An account number in the email that doesn't match your Linkt account
- Spelling and grammar mistakes, or vague details
- A login page reached through a link instead of the Linkt app or linkt.com.au
Example message
Your Linkt account has an outstanding toll balance. Pay within 12 hours to avoid a late fee and account suspension: [link]
What to do
- 1
Check your balance the safe way
Open the Linkt app, or type linkt.com.au into your browser and log in. Linkt says it will always ask you to log in to your account for payment reminders.
- 2
Report it, then delete it
Linkt asks you to report suspicious messages through its online "Report a scam" form before deleting them. You can also report to Scamwatch.
- 3
If you paid or typed in card details, call your bank
Use the number on the back of your card. Ask them to block the card and look at the transactions.
- 4
If you entered a password, change it
Change it on that account and anywhere else you use it, and turn on two-step verification. Our guide on what to do after a data breach walks through it.
- 5
Get support if your identity may be at risk
IDCARE gives free, confidential help after a scam, and ReportCyber takes cybercrime reports.
Report it
Check if your details are exposed with Serus
Scammers find your number and address on data brokers and people-search sites. Serus removes them.
Why you got it
Scammers need a name, an email address or a mobile number, and they get those from data breaches and from lists of personal details that brokers collect and resell. The more places your details sit, the more of these messages land in your inbox.
Serus finds the data brokers that list your details and sends the removal requests, and it alerts you when your email or phone number turns up in a breach. That won't stop every scam message, but it gives scammers less to work with.
Official alerts
Frequently asked
Is Linkt a scam?
No. Linkt is a real toll-pay service run by Transurban. Scammers send fake messages that use its name.
How do I know if a Linkt message is real?
Linkt publishes the websites, phone numbers and email addresses it uses on its "Is it really from us" page. Check there, then log in to your account directly.
Does Linkt ask for payment through links?
Linkt says it doesn't ask you for payment details through links in texts or emails, and tells you to log in to your account instead.
I clicked the link. What now?
Don't enter anything more. If you gave card details, call your bank. If you entered a password, change it from a trusted device.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
