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Fake texts claiming you owe a small toll fee with a link to a spoofed payment site. The top new scam of 2025, up 900% in one year. The small dollar amount ($3-$12) is intentional — it feels believable and not worth questioning.
Annual Losses
$28M+ (2025 est.)
Avg Loss / Victim
$150-$500 (card data theft can escalate)
Primary Vector
SMS text message
Peak Season
Year-round, spikes around holidays and travel seasons
You receive an unsolicited text claiming you have an unpaid toll — typically a small amount like $4.15 or $6.99 — and must pay immediately to avoid late fees or legal consequences. The link leads to a convincing replica of a state toll authority website that harvests your credit card number, CVV, and personal information.
Hover or tap the highlighted text to see why each element is a red flag.
[SunPass]Red flag: Real toll agencies don't text you about small balances — they send physical mail or use their official app Your toll account has an unpaid balance of $4.15Red flag: Deliberately small amount to seem believable and not worth verifying. Pay within 24 hoursRed flag: Artificial urgency — real agencies give 30+ days notice by mail to avoid a $50 late feeRed flag: Threat to pressure immediate action without thinking: https://sunpass-payments.comRed flag: Fake domain — the real SunPass site is sunpass.com/pay
E-ZPass: Your vehicle has an outstanding toll of $6.99. Failure to pay may result in registration suspensionRed flag: Escalated legal threat to create panic. Resolve now: ezpass-alert.infoRed flag: Fake domain using .info TLD — official E-ZPass sites use state-specific .gov or .com domains/settle
Unsolicited text about a toll you don't remember
Toll agencies primarily contact you by mail, not by text, for unpaid balances
Small dollar amount ($3-$12)
Deliberately small so you'll pay without verifying — it's a card harvesting operation
Link to a non-official domain
Check the URL carefully. Real toll authorities use their official .com or .gov domain
Tight deadline with penalty threat
Real agencies give weeks or months of notice and multiple reminders by mail
No reference to your actual license plate or account number
Legitimate notices include account-specific details they already have on file
Real toll agencies (SunPass, E-ZPass, etc.) send paper notices by USPS mail with your account number, license plate, and a 30-60 day payment window. They do not text random phone numbers about small balances. If you have an account, alerts come through the official app you registered with.
In some states, extremely overdue tolls (hundreds of dollars over many months) can eventually lead to registration issues — but this would come through official court/DMV processes with extensive written notice, never through a text message.
Scammers send these messages in bulk to random phone numbers. They don't know whether you have a toll account — they're casting a wide net hoping some recipients will assume it's real.
The small toll isn't the goal. Your credit card number is. Once they have it, they can make much larger fraudulent purchases or sell your card details on the dark web.
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