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Scam texts · October 28, 2026 · By Robert

Unpaid toll text scam and fake package texts: how to tell and what to do

The unpaid toll text scam says you owe a small toll, like $12.51, and must pay through a link today. Don't tap it. The FCC says toll operators typically don't collect overdue tolls by text. The fake package text works the same way, and it has an even simpler test: real USPS tracking texts never contain a link.

Scam or safe? The unpaid toll text scam in 27 seconds. Illustrative scenario.

What the unpaid toll text scam looks like

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center quoted a real one in its April 2024 warning: it claimed an "outstanding toll amount of $12.51," followed by a threat of a $50 late fee and a link to a site dressed up as the state's toll service. The FBI had more than 2,000 complaints in about a month, and the texts moved from state to state.

The FTC warned again in January 2025: the link leads to a page that asks for your card or bank details, and it can grab your driver's license number too. In the FTC's list of the top text scams of 2024, bogus toll notices ranked fourth (FTC Data Spotlight).

Illustration of an unpaid toll text scam and a fake package text arriving on a phone near a toll gantry
Illustration created with AI.

6 signs a toll text is fake

From the FCC's guide to toll scam texts:

  1. It's a text at all. Toll operators typically don't use texts to collect overdue accounts.
  2. It threatens a late fee or a suspended account if you don't pay right away.
  3. It comes from an odd number: international, or sent to a group of other people.
  4. It says "Dear Customer" or "E-ZPass user" instead of your name.
  5. It wants you to tap a link to pay or "verify" your information.
  6. It asks you to reply Y to get the link. That reply turns on links the phone had blocked and tells them your number works.

It also helps to ask a plain question: did you even drive on a toll road in that state?

Fake package delivery texts: the one-line test

Fake package texts were the most reported text scam of 2024, per the FTC. They usually pretend to be USPS: your package is on hold, pay a small redelivery fee here. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service gives the cleanest test we've seen: USPS only texts you tracking updates if you asked for them, and those texts will not contain a link. A USPS text with a link is fake.

What to do with an unpaid toll text or package text

  1. Don't tap the link and don't reply, not even STOP.
  2. Check it yourself. Log in to your toll account from a site or app you already use, or call the number on your toll statement. For a package, type usps.com yourself and enter the tracking number from your order.
  3. Report it. Use your phone's Report Junk option or forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). Report toll scams to the FBI at ic3.gov or the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For USPS fakes, email the text and a screenshot to spam@uspis.gov.
  4. Delete it and block the number.

The money adds up. People reported losing about $920 million to government impersonators in 2025, up from $789 million the year before, according to the FTC's June 2026 data release. Fake toll agencies are part of that group.

Already clicked? Do this now

If you typed in a card number, call your bank, ask for a new card and watch for charges you don't recognize. The FBI's advice is to secure your accounts and dispute anything you didn't make. If you gave a driver's license or Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. If you only tapped and closed the page, the risk is lower, but USPIS still says to let your bank know.

How did the scammers get my number?

Most of these texts are blasted at huge lists, but those lists come from somewhere. People-search and data-broker sites publish phone numbers next to names and home addresses. On our own Cloaked account, 1,363 of the 14,636 exposures it has secured since June 2025 were phone numbers.

Our Cloaked screen showing exposures secured by type, including 1,363 phone numbers
Our real Cloaked screen.

We haven't measured whether that cut our scam texts, so we won't claim it did. It does take your number off lists that anyone can buy. You can do the opt-outs yourself for free, or pay a service. We pay for Cloaked, and here's what it did on our account.

Want to see where your phone number is listed? Cloaked has a free exposure scan before you pay anything.

Run Cloaked's free scan →

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Common questions about the unpaid toll text scam

Is the unpaid toll text real?

Almost never. The FCC says toll operators typically don't use text messages to collect on overdue accounts. Log in to your toll account yourself, or call the number on your toll statement, to check for a real balance.

Does USPS text you about a package?

Only if you asked it to track a specific package, and even then the U.S. Postal Inspection Service says the text will not contain a link. A USPS text with a link that you didn't request is a scam.

What happens if I clicked the link in a toll text?

The FBI says to secure your financial and personal accounts and dispute any charges you don't recognize. If you entered a card number, call your bank and ask for a new card. Clicking without typing anything is lower risk, but still tell your bank if you're unsure.

Should I reply STOP to a scam text?

No. Don't reply with anything, including Y, N or STOP. A reply tells the sender your number is real. Report it as junk and delete it.

Related: Amazon refund text scam: how to tell it's fake · How to stop spam calls on Android

Sources