Unpaid toll text scam: how to spot the fake 'outstanding toll' message
Quick answer
A text saying you owe an unpaid toll and must pay a small amount through a link to avoid a late fee is almost always a scam. Don't click. Check your account on the toll agency's real website or call the number you already know, then report the text to IC3 and the FTC.
How it works
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said in April 2024 that it had received over 2,000 complaints about texts claiming to come from a road toll collection service, from at least three states. The FBI noted the scam appeared to be moving from state to state.
The texts use almost identical wording. They say you have an outstanding toll balance of a small amount, such as $12.51, and warn of a larger late fee, such as $50, unless you pay through a link. The link is built to look like the name of your state's toll service, and the phone numbers the texts come from change between states.
The FTC says the link leads to a fake payment page. Clicking can open you up to phishing for details like your driver's license number, and if you pay, the scammer gets your card number as well as your money. The goal is your card details and personal information, not the toll.
Red flags
- A text about an unpaid toll from a number you don't recognize, when you don't have a toll account or haven't driven a toll road
- A small balance paired with a much bigger late fee, and a deadline
- A link to a website that only resembles your state toll service's name
- Almost identical wording to texts your friends or neighbors got
- A request for your card number, driver's license number or other personal details
Example message
[Toll service name]: We've noticed an outstanding toll amount on your record. To avoid a late fee, visit [link] to settle your balance today.
What to do
- 1
Don't click, reply or pay
Don't tap the link, call a number in the text or reply, even to say STOP. Replying tells the sender your number is active.
- 2
Check with the real toll agency
Log in to your toll account on the agency's real website, or call the customer service number printed on your toll tag, bill or the agency's official site. Never use details from the text.
- 3
Report and delete the text
Forward it to 7726 (SPAM) or use your phone's report junk option, file a complaint at ic3.gov (include the number the text came from and the website it listed), then delete it.
- 4
If you entered card details, call your card issuer
Use the number on the back of the card. Report the charge as fraud, ask for a new card number and dispute any charges you don't recognize.
- 5
If you gave personal details, lock things down
Change passwords for accounts you reuse, turn on two-step verification and consider a credit freeze. Our guide to what to do after a data breach lists the steps.
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
These texts go out in huge batches to phone numbers scammers have collected, then get matched to a state by area code or other listings. Phone numbers, names and addresses are easy to find on people-search sites and in data breaches, which is how scammers can make a text feel like it's meant for you. Serus finds where your phone number and address are listed and removes them, and alerts you when your details show up in a breach, so fewer scammers can reach you.
Official alerts
Frequently asked
Is the unpaid toll text real?
The FTC says a text like this is probably a scam and not your toll agency. Check your account on the agency's real website or call the number you already know.
What if I really did drive on a toll road?
Check your balance on the toll agency's official website or call its customer service line. A real balance will show there, whatever the text says.
I clicked the link but didn't enter anything. Am I okay?
The FTC warns that clicking can lead to phishing, so don't go back to the page. Update your phone's software, and watch your accounts for anything odd.
I paid. What now?
Call your card issuer using the number on the card, say it was fraud and ask for a new card. Then report it at ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
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