Unpaid toll text scam (E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak): how to tell it’s fake

A text that says you owe a small unpaid toll and links to a payment page is almost always a scam: the FTC and FBI have both warned about these texts. To check, log in to your toll account yourself or call the number on its official website. Never use the link in the text.

What it looks like

Text from +63 9… · example

E-ZPass: You have an unpaid toll of $6.69. To avoid a $50 late fee and DMV penalties, pay within 12 hours: https://ezpass-tollpay.top/pay

Other forms it takes

The “overdue traffic ticket” text

Text: “STATE DMV NOTICE: You have an overdue traffic ticket. Pay by Nov 12 to avoid suspension of your license and registration and a 35% service fee: https://dmv-ticket.example-pay.top”

Same text, different toll road

Text: “FasTrak: We’ve noticed an outstanding toll of $4.15 on your record. To avoid a $50.00 late fee, settle your balance today: https://fastrak-balance.example-toll.vip”

How the scam plays out

A text out of the blue says you have an unpaid toll and must pay right away.
It warns of a late fee if you wait. In one FBI example, the toll was $12.51 and the late fee $50.
Almost the same words go out in state after state. Only the toll agency’s name and the sender’s number change.
The link opens a page made to look like your state’s toll service.
The page asks for your card or bank details, and may ask for your driver’s license number too.
With those details, scammers can charge your card or use your information to steal your identity.

Signs it’s a scam

A small amount (under $10) with a big late-fee threat.
A link that isn’t your toll agency’s official site, often ending in .top, .xyz or .vip.
A sender number from abroad or an email address.

What to do

Don’t tap the link.
Check your toll account by typing the official website yourself.
Forward the text to 7726, then delete it.

How to check if it’s real

Don’t tap the link and don’t reply.
Check your toll account by typing the toll agency’s real website yourself, or call the customer service number listed there.
A familiar name in the link proves nothing. Scam links are built to look like your state’s toll service.
Got a DMV or traffic ticket text? Contact your state DMV the same way: a website or phone number you know is real.

Already clicked, paid or shared something?

Call your card company or bank using the number on your card. Tell them you paid a scam site and dispute the charge.
Watch your statements for charges you don’t know, even small ones, and dispute any you find.
On a credit card, federal law limits what you owe for unauthorized charges to $50.
Typed your driver’s license number or other personal details? Visit IdentityTheft.gov for steps to protect yourself.
File a complaint at ic3.gov. The FBI asks you to include the phone number the text came from and the website in the text.

“Unpaid toll” text: is it a scam?