# Are unpaid toll texts a scam?

## Direct answer

Are unpaid toll texts a scam? Almost always. A text that says you owe a small toll balance, threatens a late fee, and links to a payment page is one of the most common scam texts in the United States.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center warned about it in April 2024 after receiving more than 2,000 complaints in about a month, and the FTC listed toll texts among the five most reported text scams of 2024.

The link leads to a page that copies a toll authority's look and asks for your card details. The small amount is the hook; the card number is the goal.

If you think you might really owe a toll, check your account through the toll agency's official website or app, typed in yourself, never through the link in the text.

## Key takeaways

- A toll text with a payment link is almost certainly a scam.
- The small amount is the bait; your card details are the target.
- Check your account through the official site or app you open yourself.
- If you paid, call your bank right away and ask for a new card.

Full page: https://www.smishalert.ai/answers/toll-text-scams
## Where SmishAlert fits

On iPhone, SmishAlert screens texts from unknown senders and moves likely toll scams out of the inbox before anyone taps the link.

If one gets through, a screenshot or a forward to SmishAlert comes back with a plain verdict and the reasoning behind it.

When a link is confirmed malicious, the next unknown-sender check on any protected iPhone marks it automatically.

An individual can install SmishAlert on their own iPhone from the App Store.