untrappable

Unpaid toll text scam: is that E-ZPass message real?

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 21, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. Toll agencies don't text you a link to pay a small balance or threaten your license over a few dollars.

Text Message · Today 8:42 AM
from +63 555 0142
E-ZPass: Our records show you have an unpaid toll of $6.99. To avoid a late fee of $50.00 and a report to the DMV, pay before today: ezpass-tollpay.info/us
The Text message, as received

Other versions you might get: The same scam shows up as FasTrak, TxTag, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, SunPass, or just "Toll Services," sometimes citing a license plate or a "final notice" before your account goes to collections.

Word-for-word versions going around

Each of these is a real text, quoted exactly as people received it. If yours matches one — even loosely — it’s the same scam.

  • “(State Toll Service Name): We've noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.51 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit https://myturnpiketollservices.com to settle your balance.”
    Documented by FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) · April 2024
  • “We have noticed an unpaid toll invoice for your vehicle. To avoid an extra charge of $150.00, please settle your balance of $5.89 as soon as possible.”
    Documented by CBS6 Albany (WRGB) · July 2024

What to do right now

  1. Don't tap the link or enter any card details. Don't reply — even "STOP" confirms your number is real and live.
  2. Check the real way. Open your toll account at the agency's official .gov or known site (type it yourself), or call the number on the back of your transponder or a past statement.
  3. If you already entered your card or paid: call your bank, freeze or replace the card, dispute the charge, and watch for follow-up "refund" or "verify" texts — those are round two of the same scam.
  4. Report it. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
  5. Delete the message.

How to make sure it never bites you

You got this because your number is on a list scammers buy and blast in bulk — it has nothing to do with whether you actually drove a toll road. Get your number off those lists and add a layer between you and the next blast — see how to stop spam texts for good.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

You got this because your details are on lists that get bought, sold, and leaked. You can't unspill that, but you can make it useless to a scammer. Start with the free steps — they do most of the work.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

If you'd rather have it watched for you, an identity-protection service monitors your accounts, SSN, and the dark web, warns you the moment something new appears, and helps you recover if someone gets through.

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Frequently asked

Why am I getting unpaid toll texts when I don't even drive toll roads?
Because the texts go out to bulk phone lists, not toll records. The FTC notes you might get one “whether you've driven through a toll recently or not” — scammers impersonate tolling agencies “from coast to coast.” The FBI logged over 2,000 complaints in the scam's first weeks as it moved state to state, with scammers swapping phone numbers and agency names as they went. Getting one says nothing about your driving; it just means your number is on a list.
I paid the “toll” through the link — what should I do now?
Call your bank or card issuer first: dispute the charge and freeze or replace the card. The FBI's advice after interacting with one of these links is to secure your personal information and financial accounts and dispute any unfamiliar charges — the page took your card details, and possibly personal details like your license number too. Then file a complaint at ic3.gov with the sender's number and the link, and ignore any follow-up “refund” text — that's round two of the same scam.
How do I check whether I actually owe a toll?
Go around the text entirely. The FBI says to check your account on the toll agency's legitimate website — type the address yourself, never the one in the text — or call the agency's real customer-service number, from a past statement or the back of your transponder. If no balance shows up there, there's no toll. Real toll notices come by mail or through your own account, not a pay link in a text.
I clicked the toll link and entered my name, address, or driver's license number — but no card. Am I still at risk?
Yes — that's an identity-theft exposure, not just a payment one, and the fix is different. The FTC warns that clicking one of these links can hand over personal info “like your driver's license number” and be used to steal your identity. Since no card was charged, a chargeback won't help: report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a free personal recovery plan, and place a free credit freeze with all three bureaus — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax — so no one can open new accounts in your name. Then keep watch for a follow-up “toll refund” or “verify your info” text; that's round two of the same scam.

Related scams

Sources

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.