Unpaid toll text scams: E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak

Key takeaways

Toll agencies do not send surprise texts with payment links demanding money the same day. Treat any such text as a scam.
You receive these whether or not you drive on toll roads. They are sent in bulk to number ranges.
The small amount is bait. The real target is your card number, and sometimes your driver's license and Social Security number.
To check what you owe, open the toll agency's app or type its official web address yourself. Never use the link in the text.
Forward the text to 7726, report it, and delete it. Do not reply, even if it asks you to reply Y to activate the link.

The text almost everyone has received

"E-ZPass final reminder: you have an outstanding toll of $6.85. To avoid a late fee of $50 and suspension of your vehicle registration, pay by tomorrow: ezpass-tollservices.example.com"

Swap in SunPass, FasTrak, TxTag, the Illinois Tollway, Peach Pass, or simply "Toll Services". The wording is the same nationwide because the same kits are used to send it. The FTC told Congress in March 2026 that text messages were the most common way scammers reached people in 2025, and this is one of the most widely sent texts of all.

Why it works

It is plausible. Millions of people drive on toll roads and few remember every trip.
The amount is small. Paying $6.85 feels easier than finding out whether it is real.
The threat is large. A $50 fee, a suspended registration, or a report to the DMV.
The deadline is short. Today or tomorrow, so you act on your phone without checking.

What they are really after

The toll is not the prize. The payment page asks for your card number, expiry date, and security code. Many versions then ask for a one-time code "to verify the card", which is really the code that adds your card to a digital wallet on the criminal's phone. Some pages also ask for a driver's license number or Social Security number. A $6.85 payment can become thousands of dollars in charges and a stolen identity.

Real notice or fake?

A real toll notice	A scam text
Usually arrives by mail, or as an email or app alert you signed up for	Arrives as a text from an unknown number, often an email address or an international number
Shows your license plate, the date, the toll location, and an invoice number	Gives no plate, place, or date
Gives weeks to pay, and explains how to dispute	Demands payment today or tomorrow
Sends you to the agency's official address	Links to a look-alike address with extra words such as "toll-services" or "pay-invoice"
Never asks you to reply to make a link work	Asks you to reply Y, or to copy the link into your browser

If you want to be able to read the address yourself, see how to check if a link is safe. The key is the part just before the first single slash.

How to check what you owe, safely

Do not tap the link or reply.
Go to the toll agency yourself. Open its app, use a bookmark, or type the official address printed on your transponder statement or a past invoice.
Log in and look for unpaid tolls. If there is nothing there, you owe nothing.
If you do not have an account and think you may have used a toll road, most agencies let you search by license plate on their official site.
Still unsure? Call the number on the agency's official website.

What to do with the text

Forward it to 7726 (SPAM). Your carrier uses these reports to block senders.
Use your phone's "report junk" option if it offers one.
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and at IC3.gov with the phone number and the web address from the text.
Block the number and delete the message.

If you already paid or entered details

Call your card issuer now, using the number on the back of the card. Say you entered your card on a scam site. Ask them to cancel the card and review recent activity, including any new digital wallet enrolments.
If you shared a one-time code, tell the issuer that too. It may have been used to add your card to someone else's phone.
Dispute any charges you do not recognize.
If you entered a license or Social Security number, place a credit freeze and make a plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
Report it so the site can be taken down faster.

The same script, other names

The toll text is one member of a family. The identical structure is used for unpaid parking tickets, DMV "final notices", delivery redelivery fees, and customs charges. Small amount, big threat, short deadline, link. Once you recognize the shape, the name at the top stops mattering.

Common questions

Is the E-ZPass text about unpaid tolls real?

Almost certainly not. Toll agencies across the country have warned that they do not send texts demanding immediate payment through a link. If you think you may owe a toll, log in through the agency's official website or app, or call the number on a statement.

Why did I get a toll text when I do not have a toll account?

Because the texts are sent in bulk to huge lists of phone numbers, not to customers. The senders do not know whether you drive, where you live, or whether you have an account.

I paid the fake toll. What should I do?

Call the number on the back of the card you used, say the charge was a scam, and ask for the card to be replaced. Watch for further charges. If you also entered a driver's license or Social Security number, consider a credit freeze and make a plan at IdentityTheft.gov.

Why does the text ask me to reply Y?

Many phones disable links in messages from unknown senders. Replying, or copying the link into a browser, turns that protection off. It also confirms your number is active. Do neither.

Official sources and further reading

Published September 21, 2026, last updated September 21, 2026. This guide is general education for people in the United States. It is not legal or financial advice, and it cannot tell you whether a particular message or person is genuine. Spot an error? Tell us.

Unpaid toll text scams: E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak, and what to do with the text