It’s the viral scam now sweeping across America “state to state.” Following FBI and FTC warnings, multiple police forces are now urging citizens to delete each dangerous text as soon as it is received (1,2). Meanwhile, the chances of that are rapidly increasing, with the threat soaring month by month, driven by a dangerous Chinese cyber attack tool.
This is the unpaid toll scam, that sends tailored messages within a city or state dressed up to look like it’s coming from the local toll collection agency. iPhone and Android users are warned that unless they pay immediately they will be subject to escalating fines or worse. The text includes a payment link, which has also been crafted to look like it’s coming from the relevant agency.
The best result if you fall for the scam is that you will lose some money, it’s more likely that your financial credentials and other personal information will be stolen and harvested by the webpage you click through to. The advice from law enforcement is clear — delete and report every text you receive, do not engage.
In response to my story on this alarming threat, the team at Guardio tells me that “since the start of 2025, we’ve seen a 604% rise in toll fee scam texts, with March setting a new record and a 98% increase in the first week compared to the previous one.” This scam has gone viral and shows no signs of slowing down.
If you receive a toll payment text, not only should you delete the message but you should check with the toll payment agency — if there’s any chance you might have a payment due — through the usual channels, online or phone. You can report the scam to your local police forces or to the FBI at ic3.gov.
