Is an 'unpaid toll' text a real notice?
Usually not. Unsolicited texts claiming you owe a toll and asking you to click a link are a widespread phishing scam — verify through the official toll operator only.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Explanation
Toll-fee phishing texts (sometimes called 'smishing') claim you have an outstanding toll balance and threaten fines or licence suspension if you don't pay immediately via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake payment page that captures your card details.
Genuine toll notices are issued by recognised highway authorities or toll operators and typically arrive by post or through a registered account you signed up to. If you do drive roads with electronic tolling, check your balance by going directly to the toll operator's official website — not via any link in a text. In the United States, the FBI and FTC have both issued warnings about a large wave of toll-fee smishing attacks.
Common red flags
- Text about an unpaid toll you don't recognise
- Link in the text goes to a domain that isn't the official toll operator
- Threats of immediate fines, licence suspension, or legal action
- Small amount owed — designed to seem plausible and not worth questioning
- No account number or vehicle registration matching your records
- Urgency — 'pay within 24 hours to avoid additional charges'
What to do now
- Do not click the link or enter payment details
- Go to the official toll operator's website directly to check your account
- Forward the text to 7726 (UK/US spam reporting) and report to your national fraud service
- If you entered card details, contact your bank immediately
- Delete the message after reporting it
Frequently asked questions
I did drive on a toll road recently. Could the text be genuine?
Even if you did use a toll road, verify only through the operator's official website — not through the link in the text. The coincidence of timing is not proof the text is real.
How do scammers know I might have used a toll road?
They typically don't — these messages are sent in bulk to millions of numbers. Many recipients will have driven on a road recently and assume the text must be for them.