An unpaid toll text? Validate it
By the Securify team
Published Oct 11, 2026. 1 min read.
The safe move
Skip the link. Check with the toll agency using a website or phone number you know is real.
Text Message
Today 9:41 AM
You have an unpaid toll.1 Pay now using this link to avoid a late fee3.toll-payment.example/pay2
What gives it away
- 1
A bill you didn’t expect
A text can pretend to come from a toll agency.
- 2
A payment link in a text
It can lead to a fake page that asks for your card or personal details.
- 3
A penalty to rush you
It pushes you to pay before you check.
- Pretends to be
- A toll agency
- Arrives by
- Texts
- After
- Your card details
- Main source
- Federal Trade Commission, Jan 17, 2025
What’s going on
A text may pretend to come from a toll agency. A payment link can lead to a fake page asking for your card or personal details.
If you already paid
- Call the number on the back of your card right away and ask them to reverse the charge.
- Check your toll account on the agency’s real website, not through the link in the text.
Report it
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then file a complaint at ic3.gov with the number it came from and the link it listed.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Jan 17, 2025
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Smishing Scam Regarding Debt for Road Toll Services”, Apr 12, 2024
- Federal Trade Commission, “What To Do if You Were Scammed”
