Text scams
"Unpaid toll" scam texts (E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak, TxTag)
"E-ZPass Toll Services: Our records show an outstanding toll of $4.35 on your vehicle. To avoid a late fee of $50.00 and possible suspension of your license, pay by tomorrow at ezpass-tollservice[.]com." It's short, specific, and slightly frightening, and it's one of the most common scam texts in the country.
A nationwide text scam
In April 2024, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned that it had received more than 2,000 complaints since early March of that year about texts impersonating road toll services in at least three states, and that the scam appeared to be moving from state to state. It didn't stay in three states for long. Toll agencies including E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak and TxTag have all issued public warnings about fake toll texts, and the FTC lists fake unpaid toll messages among the most common text scams Americans reported in 2024.
How it works
- A text arrives using the name of your state's toll service, or a generic "Toll Services" or "Tolls by Mail" name. People get them even if they've never driven on a toll road.
- It claims a small unpaid toll (usually a few dollars) and threatens a much bigger late fee, a fine, or damage to your license or registration.
- The link opens a convincing copy of a toll payment site. It asks for your name, address, license plate and card details, sometimes your driver's license number too.
- Your card gets charged far more than the "toll", or your details are sold and used for other fraud. A fake "bank" may call afterward about "suspicious charges".
The "reply Y" trick
Some messages say: "Please reply Y, then exit the message and reopen it to activate the link." Phones often disable links in texts from unknown senders. Replying turns the link back on, and it tells the scammer your number is active.
Red flags
- A text out of the blue about an unpaid toll, especially in a state you haven't driven in.
- A link that isn't your toll agency's real website. Look for extra words, unusual endings instead of .com, .org or .gov, or lookalike spellings.
- A sender that's a random phone number, often from another country, or an email address.
- A tiny amount, a huge penalty, and a deadline of today or tomorrow.
- A request to reply "Y" to make the link work.
- Typos, strange spacing, or a toll agency name that doesn't match your state.
What real toll bills look like
Real toll systems usually charge a transponder account automatically, or mail a toll-by-plate invoice to the registered owner of the vehicle. Some agencies do send texts to customers who've signed up for alerts, which is why the scam is believable. But a genuine message won't threaten your license over a few dollars by tomorrow, and you can always confirm it by logging in to your account yourself.
If you clicked or paid
- Entered card details: call your card issuer right away, cancel the card, and dispute any charges.
- Only clicked: don't enter anything else. Close the page, and keep an eye on your accounts.
- Gave your driver's license number or other personal information: visit IdentityTheft.gov and consider a credit freeze.
- Expect follow-ups: scammers who have your card number may call pretending to be your bank. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card. See bank impersonation scams.
More help: what to do if you've been scammed.
Where to report toll scam texts
- Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block similar messages.
- File with the FBI at ic3.gov. The FBI asks you to include the phone number the text came from and the website it linked to.
- Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Use your phone's "Report junk" option, then delete the message.
Not sure about a message? Paste it into the free Scam Text Checker. It runs in your browser. For fewer texts like this, see how to stop spam texts.