The unpaid toll text scam
A surprise text saying you owe a small toll, with a late fee and a link, is probably a scam. Check only with your toll agency, on a site you know.1
Text Message
Today 9:41 AM
State Toll Services:1 We've noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.512 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.003, visit mystate-tollservices.example.com4 to settle your balance.
- A toll agency name you might owe. The FBI says the name is made to impersonate the state's toll service.2
- A small amount. The FBI found it was similar across the complaints it received.2
- A late fee. "Scammers want you to react quickly."1
- A link that isn't your agency's site. It leads to a page asking for your bank or card details.1
What to do Don't tap the link or reply. Report it as junk or forward it to 7726, then delete it.1
Rebuilt from the FBI's published example, with a safe address. Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.
How it works
The FBI's complaint center had over 2,000 complaints about these texts from at least three states between early March and 12 April 2024, and said the scam may be moving from state to state.2 Unpaid toll notices were one of the five most reported text scams of 2024.3
- The text arrives out of the blue, in the name of a toll program. The sending phone numbers change from state to state.1,2
- The link opens a payment page. It asks for your bank or card details, and can also collect personal details such as your driver's license number.1
- The charges aren't real. The FTC says the scammers were after card and Social Security numbers.3
The same trick, two ways
The toll text
A message out of the blue saying you have unpaid tolls and must pay now, often with an amount and a link.1
Check your account on the toll agency's own site.
If you got one
- Don't tap the link and don't reply.Stop and check first.1
- Check your real toll account.Use your toll service's legitimate website or its customer service number, not the contact details in the text.2,1
- Report it, then delete it.Use your phone's "report junk" option or forward the text to 7726. The FBI also asks you to file at ic3.gov with the number that sent the text and the website in it.1,2
- If you clicked or paid, act today.Secure your personal information and financial accounts, and dispute any charges you don't recognize.2
If money already left your account
How you paid decides who to call first. Call today.5
| You paid by | Contact right away |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Your card issuer or bank, on the number on the card, and ask for a refund. |
| Bank transfer or Zelle | Your bank or credit union. Ask them to reverse the payment. |
| Payment app | The app. Report the payment and ask for a reversal. |
| Gift card | The card's issuer, on the number on the card. Keep the card and the receipt. |
| Wire transfer | The wire transfer company. Say it was a scam and ask for a refund. |
| Cryptocurrency | The exchange or crypto ATM operator, then the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. |
Questions people ask
Are unpaid toll texts real?
The FTC says a text about unpaid tolls is "probably a scam". If you think you might owe a toll, contact your state's toll agency using a phone number or website you already know is real.1
Why is the amount so small?
Is the traffic violation text with a QR code real?
The FTC says it's probably a scam. Don't respond and don't scan the QR code. If you're worried, check the court's website or call it, using details you know are correct.4
More scam examples
- USPS package textA delivery problem and a redelivery fee.
- How to report a scamWhere each kind of scam goes, in the US and the UK.
- "Wrong number" textA friendly stranger who turns to investing.
- Job offer text and task scamEasy pay, then a deposit to get paid.
- Fake Geek Squad renewal emailHundreds of dollars, call within 24 hours.
- PayPal invoice scamAn invoice you never ordered, sent through PayPal.
- Fake bank fraud alert"Reply YES or NO", then a call.
- IRS scam texts and emailsA refund you weren't expecting, or a threat.
- Amazon scam texts and emailsA purchase or account problem that isn't real.
- Crypto romance scamA new friend with a trading app.
- All nine examplesThe home page, with every scam side by side.
Sources 5
- Got a text about unpaid tolls? It's probably a scam (17 January 2025), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
- Smishing Scam Regarding Debt for Road Toll Services (I-041224-PSA, 12 April 2024), FBI IC3. Read 28 October 2026.
- Top text scams of 2024 (Data Spotlight, 14 April 2025), Federal Trade Commission. Read 28 October 2026.
- That text about a traffic violation is probably a scam (14 April 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
- What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check