Deepak Gupta

Government and authority impersonation · Also called unpaid toll text, E-ZPass scam, traffic ticket text scam, parking fine text scam

Toll and traffic fine smishing

Toll smishing is a text message that pretends to come from a toll road operator, motor vehicle agency, or parking authority, saying you owe a small unpaid toll or fine. The link goes to a fake payment page that steals your card and personal details, which can lead to larger charges or identity theft.

How it works

Scammers send mass texts claiming an unpaid toll, traffic ticket, or parking fine, usually for a small amount.
The message threatens late fees, licence suspension, or legal action if the debt is not paid quickly.
The link opens a look-alike payment site that asks for card details and personal information such as a driver's licence number.
The stolen details are used for fraudulent charges or sold, and victims may be targeted again.

Red flags

An unexpected text says you owe a toll or fine, whether or not you have driven on a toll road recently.
The link does not go to your state or local agency's official website.
The message threatens penalties if you do not pay today.
The message comes from an unfamiliar phone number or an email address, and scammers can also send from numbers that look official.

If you are targeted

Stop contact: do not click the link or reply, and do not pay.
Check your account on the toll operator's or agency's official website or app, or call them on a number you look up yourself.
If you entered card details, call your card issuer to block the card and dispute any charges.
Report it. Our Report a scam page lists where to report in your country, such as ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US.
Report the text with your phone's report junk option or, in the US, forward it to 7726, then delete it.

Where to report, by country

Prevention

For individuals

Never pay a toll or fine through a link in an unexpected text.
Go to the agency's official website or app yourself to check whether you owe anything.
Use a card with fraud monitoring and turn on transaction alerts so unexpected charges stand out.

For organisations

Toll agencies can publish exactly how they contact customers, so people can tell real notices from fake ones.
Mobile carriers can block known smishing senders and act on 7726 reports.

By the numbers

Figures are for the reporting category this scam falls under, not this scam alone.

Phishing and spoofing losses reported to the FBI IC3 in 2025	$215.8M	US, 2025, FBI IC3
Phishing and spoofing complaints to the FBI IC3 in 2025, the most reported crime type	191,561	US, 2025, FBI IC3
Phishing attacks observed by APWG in Q1 2026	971,181	Global, 2026, APWG

Real cases

No documented case in the atlas yet. New cases are added as they are sourced.

Delivered through: SMS phishing (smishing)

How official datasets classify it

FBI IC3: Phishing/Spoofing
FTC: Government Imposters
Scamwatch: Phishing scams

Questions

Is the text about my unpaid toll real?: It is probably a scam. Check your account by going to the toll agency's official website or calling a number you know is real, not by using the link in the text.
I clicked the link and paid. What now?: Call your card issuer to block the card and dispute the charge, and watch for identity theft if you entered other personal details.