"Outstanding toll" text scam

Updated October 23, 2026

The text people are getting

(State Toll Service Name): We've noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.51 on your record. […]

As reported by FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), April 2024.

Utah toll services: We've noticed an outstanding balance of $11.69 on your record. To prevent a late fee of $50.00, please visit […]

As reported by Utah Department of Transportation, December 2025.

Your vehicle has an unpaid toll bill. To avoid excessive late fees on your bill, please settle it promptly. Thank you for […]

As reported by Better Business Bureau (shared by a Massachusetts consumer), March 2025.

How to tell it's a scam

A small, oddly exact amount. $11.69 or $12.51 is low enough that paying "just to be safe" feels harmless. That's the point: the page then asks for your full card details.
A big late fee and a deadline. The text threatens a $50 fee or "penalties" to rush you.
A link that isn't the agency's website. Real toll agencies send you to their own site or app. Copycat sites use look-alike addresses.
The wrong state. Many people get these texts for toll roads they've never used, because scammers send the same message to huge lists of numbers.

What toll agencies actually do

The FBI warned about this template in April 2024, and the FTC warned again in January 2025: don't click, don't reply, and check with your toll agency using a website or number you know is real. Several agencies have said directly that they don't ask for payment this way. North Carolina's NC Quick Pass says it will never request payment by text. Texas says TxTag doesn't text about unpaid balances. Florida says SunPass doesn't text customers asking for payment or immediate action.

Some agencies do send real texts, usually from a short five- or six-digit code and only to customers who signed up. Those texts point to the agency's own website, not a strange address.

If you tapped the link or paid

Only opened the page? Close it without entering anything.
Entered card details? Call your bank or card company using the number on your card. Ask them to block the card and dispute any charge.
Entered your driver's license number or other personal details? Visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.

More detail: what to do if you clicked a scam link.

Report it

Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it.
File a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov. The FBI asks for the number the text came from and the website it linked to.
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Questions

Is the unpaid toll text real?

Almost certainly not. The FBI and the FTC have warned about these texts for years, and the same template has been used with dozens of toll agencies' names. Check your account by typing your toll agency's website address yourself.

I really do use toll roads. How can I check if I owe anything?

Log in to your toll account on the agency's official website or app, or call the number on your transponder statement. Some agencies, like E-ZPass New York, do send texts to customers who signed up for alerts, but they don't ask you to pay through a strange link.

What if I already paid?

Call your bank or card company now and ask them to block the card and dispute the charge. Then see what to do if you clicked a scam link.

Sources

Facts checked October 23, 2026.