Toll Scam Text: Unpaid Toll Messages Explained (E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak)
Got a text saying you owe an unpaid toll? It's almost certainly a scam. See real toll scam text examples, how to check if you really owe, and what to do if you clicked.
If you got a text saying you have an unpaid toll balance and must pay today to avoid a fine, you are looking at one of the most widespread text scams in the United States. The message changes its brand — E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak, TxTag, "Toll Services" — but the trick is the same.
Paste the phone number or link from the toll text
What a toll scam text looks like
- "Your vehicle has an outstanding toll of $4.15. To avoid a late fee of $50, pay by today: [link]"
- "Final notice: unpaid toll charges. Your license may be suspended."
- The link uses a look-alike domain (letters and numbers added to the agency name, or an unusual ending like .xin, .top or .vip).
- It arrives from a random number or an email address, not a short code you recognize.
The small amount is the point. Few people argue over $4. The page then asks for your full card number, expiry and security code — and sometimes your driver's license — which are used for much larger fraud.
Why you should trust this page, not just the text
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued a public warning about toll smishing in April 2024 after thousands of complaints, and the campaign has kept rotating states since. Real toll agencies send bills by mail or through the account you created; they do not threaten license suspension in a text with a link.
How to check if you really owe a toll
- Open a new browser tab and type your toll agency's official address yourself.
- Log in and look at your balance, or call the number on your statement.
- If nothing is owed there, the text was a scam.
If you already clicked or paid
- Call your bank or card issuer and ask them to block the card and dispute the charge.
- Change any password you typed on that page.
- Watch for follow-up "refund" calls — that is a second scam.
- Report the text at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, forward it to 7726, and report it here so the number becomes searchable.
Related: USPS scam texts, scam text checker, how to report a scammer in the US.
Frequently asked questions
Is the unpaid toll text a scam?
Almost always. Toll agencies such as E-ZPass, SunPass and FasTrak do not ask you to pay through a link in an unexpected text. The FBI's IC3 has warned about this exact smishing campaign since 2024.
How do I check if I really owe a toll?
Type your toll agency's official website into your browser yourself, or call the number printed on your account statement or the back of your transponder. Never use the link or number in the text.
I clicked the toll text link. What now?
If you entered card details, call your card issuer to block the card and dispute the charge. Change any password you typed in, watch your statements, and report the text to reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
How do I report a toll scam text?
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), file at ic3.gov including the phone number and link, and report it on scamers.org so others searching the number find it.