Don’t Fall for Bogus ‘Unpaid Toll’ Text Messages
Last updated March 31, 2025
If you receive a text message requesting payment for outstanding toll charges, assume it’s a scam.
The volume of these fake messages has surged since Checkbook first warned about them in June 2024, when the FBI warned it had received thousands of complaints from at least three states.
The scam has now spread “coast to coast,” according to a consumer alert posted earlier this year from the Federal Trade Commission.
Listen to audio highlights of the story below:
These bogus messages are part of a widespread “smishing” attack, which the FBI describes as a “social engineering attack using fake text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or sending money to cybercriminals.” The fraudsters are using a “shotgun” approach, targeting anyone with a smartphone—even those who don’t own a car, have a driver’s license, or own a toll pass.
These texts, like this one posted on Reddit, are not from a legitimate tolling agency:
“These smishing texts are designed to get you to click on a link that takes you to copycat websites that mimic the authentic sites for paying a toll,” said John Breyault, who runs the National Consumers League’s Fraud.org website. “These bogus payment portals are designed to trick you into giving the fraudsters money you don’t owe and your personal information that can be used for identity theft.”
My wife and I recently received one of these bogus texts that was sent from an area code in West Virginia. (Our cars haven’t left Washington state in two years!) The latest batch of toll alerts is more threatening than the original ones. The one we received said: “Failure to pay on time may result in additional fees or loss of your license. In severe cases, it may also damage your DMV record and lead to legal action.”
The West Virginia Parkways Authority warns that it “does not currently communicate with account holders via text to make payments or request account information.”
Washington state’s Good To Go! toll program has been flooded with calls about these phony collection notices. Their call center typically gets 2,000 calls a day, a spokesperson told Checkbook. In March, it received about 10,000 calls a day, and most of those calls were about these scam text messages.
Following the recent spike in complaints, several states across the country have issued alerts about this scam.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has warned residents that new versions of these scam texts have recently surfaced, including one “impersonating a collection agency that is authorized to work on behalf of the PA Turnpike.”
Washington state’s Good To Go! toll program has been flooded with calls about these phony collection notices. Their call center typically gets 2,000 calls a day, a spokesperson told Checkbook. In March, it received about 10,000 calls a day, and most of those calls were about these scam text messages.
The links in smishing text messages don’t always correspond to the name of the tolling authority in that specific state—a red flag.
For example, a Checkbook subscriber in Oregon received this fake collection notice, supposedly from Oregon Toll Services, that contained a link to SunPass, the prepaid tolling program in Florida. And note the misspelling in the URL, an extra “s” after sun.
Scammers seem focused on using text messages to lure their victims, but in some states, Checkbook was told, they’re also using email and robocalls.
Protect Yourself
If you get a message that says you owe unpaid tolls, even if it looks legitimate, don’t click any links or respond in any way. It’s too risky.
Instead, check with the state’s tolling agency using a website or phone number you know is real—not what’s in the text.
Red Flag: Some tolling authorities will text drivers who’ve registered for the program information about their accounts, such as you have a low-balance or your credit card on file is about to expire. They’d never tell you to click a link in the text and pay now.
Report It
If you receive one of these bogus messages or have fallen victim to the hoax, report it to the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, or Fraud.org (which shares reports it receives with hundreds of law enforcement agencies throughout North America).
If you provided the scammers with any financial information, take steps immediately to secure those accounts. Dispute any fraudulent charges made to your credit card.
You can also alert your wireless carrier by using your phone’s “report junk” button or by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM). This will help the phone company better detect and block fraudulent messages on its network. Then, delete that message.
More Info:
- From Checkbook: Protect Yourself from Identity Theft and Other Fraud
- From FTC: Impersonation Scams: Not What They Used to Be
- From FCC: Avoid the Temptation of Smishing Scams
Contributing editor Herb Weisbaum (“The ConsumerMan”) is an Emmy award-winning broadcaster and one of America's top consumer experts. He has been protecting consumers for more than 40 years, having covered the consumer beat for CBS News, The Today Show, and NBCNews.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and at ConsumerMan.com.