FBI Warns of Nationwide Toll Payment Text Scam Targeting Drivers

A new scam is making its way across the country, and it’s hitting phones hard with fake messages about unpaid tolls and E-ZPass balances. But officials are urging you: don’t fall for it.

According to a CNN Newsource report by Leigh Waldman, these fraudulent messages—part of a growing “smishing” scam—are designed to steal your personal information. The term “smishing” comes from SMS phishing, where scammers send deceptive text messages pretending to be legitimate institutions.

“It’s deceptively simple,” said Ford Merrill, Director of Research and Innovation at Security Alliance. “It’s very easy to fall for.” Merrill has been tracking these scams since 2023 and says they often begin with fake toll notices, quickly escalating to credit card theft and even attempts to bypass multi-factor authentication on your accounts.

One major red flag, experts say, is the sender. “Look at the sender address. It will often be a strange number or an unfamiliar email address—even though it’s coming as a text,” Merrill advised.

Frank Hoare, Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority, emphasized that real toll agencies do not collect payments through text or email. “You either have an account or you have a formal process to pay your tolls by mail,” he said. “They will never ask for payment this way.”

Hoare’s agency is working alongside New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office to raise public awareness and encourage anyone who receives one of these scam messages to delete it immediately.

“Red flags should go off right away,” Hoare said. “If it's a phone call, an email, or a text, and it doesn’t look official—don’t engage. Just delete.”

The FBI is also taking the issue seriously. Its Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 60,000 complaints related to the unpaid toll scam in 2024 alone.

To learn more or report suspicious activity, visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

This story was reported by Leigh Waldman for CNN Newsource.

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