Americans Flooded with Toll Road Scam Texts

Criminals are pretending to be from electronic toll-collection systems to steal data and money

Ken Budd,

Updated April 28, 2026

AARP

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Updated April 28, 2026

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Key takeaways

Scam texts often claim drivers have unpaid tolls and urge quick payment.
The messages impersonate electronic toll‑collection systems to appear legitimate.
Never open a link in an unsolicited text or email.

Gas prices and traffic jams aren’t the only headaches drivers face these days. Cybercriminals are now requesting payment for fake highway tolls.

According to the FBI, the scam began gathering steam in the spring of 2024 and exploded last year, when Americans found themselves fielding a flood of text messages requesting payment for (fake) unpaid tolls.

How the toll road scam works

People receive a text message that appears to be from a highway authority or a transponder company like E-ZPass, claiming to notify them of unpaid tolls. The amounts are usually small: Some texts have used figures like $11.69 or $12.51. The scammers say you need to pay the toll to avoid a $50 late fee. The text includes a payment link.

The FBI has warned that, instead of sending the same text to everyone, scammers often tailor it to specific states. The link in the text “is created to impersonate the state’s toll service name, and phone numbers appear to change between states,” the FBI notes. So if you live in Pennsylvania, the website link might be something like https://myturnpiketollservices.com (a URL scammers have included in some of their texts).

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But the scam isn’t always targeted at state residents. People around the country, for instance, have received this message: “Pay your FastTrak Lane tolls by [date]. To avoid a fine and keep your license, you can pay at [link].” FasTrak — note the difference in spelling — is the name of California’s legitimate electronic toll system, which now offers a fraud alert on its site: “FasTrak does not request payment by text with a link to a website.”

For victims, it’s a triple whammy. Not only are they paying money they don’t owe, but the link may expose them to malware and identity theft, and criminals get access to the victim’s credit card number.

Toll road scams on the rise

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office recently warned residents that a new phishing scam involves scammers impersonating the 36th District Court in Detroit and notifying recipients of a toll road violation that requires them to attend a civil infraction hearing. A QR code leads to a website that mimics the Michigan Department of State.

Many other states have issued warnings, as have federal agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Communications Commission.

Another troublesome twist: The unpaid toll amounts are small enough to seem reasonable — and believable.

“Some people think, ‘It’s such a small amount — I should go ahead and pay it so I don’t have to pay the extra $50,’” says Melanie McGovern, director of public relations and social media for the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

Some aspects of the fraud are not sophisticated, however. Despite tailoring the text messages for specific states, the scammers appear to be casting a wide net, which can lead to mistakes. Michigan residents, for example, have received texts even though Michigan doesn’t have toll roads. McGovern’s husband received a text purportedly from SunPass, a Florida transponder system.

“We don’t live in Florida, and we don’t have vehicles there,” she says.

How to avoid the toll road scam

Understand the scam. This type of scam is what fraud experts call “smishing,” a form of phishing that uses text messages to perpetrate fraud. One goal is to entice you to click a link or open a document that might download malware or allow criminals to access your personal information, credit card info or bank accounts.

Don’t click on the link. Never open a link in an email or text, especially if the message arrives unannounced. McGovern’s advice: “If you get this kind of text message, delete it.”

Go to the source. Instead of opening the link, contact the entity that supposedly sent it. If you received a text that appears to be from E-ZPass, for example, and you think the toll could be legit, visit its website or call its customer service line to confirm the charge.

Watch for emails. Scammers aren’t just using texts. In New York, E-ZPass holders have received emails asking them to download an invoice for unpaid tolls, according to an alert from the New York State Thruway Authority.

Report the scam. If you receive one of these texts, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3.gov.

Find support. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network’s toll-free Helpline (877-908-3360), where trained volunteers provide victims and family members with support and guidance on next steps.

Listen to this episode of AARP's The Perfect Scam for more information on road toll scams.

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The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Ken Budd has written for National Geographic Traveler, The Atlantic, The Washington Post Magazine and many more. He is the author of a memoir, The Voluntourist.