INDIANAPOLIS— If you’ve received a text saying you owe unpaid tolls and must pay immediately, don’t fall for it.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Better Business Bureau warns that these messages are part of a phishing scam designed to steal your financial and personal information.
Scammers have been heavily targeting Indianapolis residents due to the city's proximity to major toll roads and frequent travel to nearby metro areas like Chicago and Louisville.
Many people in the region are accustomed to paying tolls when driving through these areas, making them more likely to believe the scam is legitimate. Additionally, Indianapolis sees a mix of local and out-of-state drivers, increasing the chances that someone may assume they unknowingly missed a toll payment.
Whether or not you’ve recently driven through a toll, scammers are impersonating tolling agencies and sending fake texts demanding payment. The message may include a link urging you to enter your credit card or banking details, but it’s a trap.
Clicking the link can expose sensitive data, including your driver’s license number, which scammers use for identity theft. These messages may claim you owe a specific dollar amount and pressure you to act quickly to avoid penalties.
According to Nicole Amsler, Communications Specialist at the Better Business Bureau (BBB), legitimate tolling agencies most likely do not send texts about unpaid tolls.
"Messages that create a sense of urgency, threaten extra fees, or include links to unfamiliar websites are major red flags," said Amsler. "Scammers often use publicly available information to make these messages seem more credible, making it easier to trick unsuspecting individuals."
WATCH | Don't be tricked by these toll road text scams
Amsler says to protect yourself, never click on links in unsolicited texts.
"Instead, verify any toll charges by visiting the official website of your state’s toll agency," said Amsler. "Look up the agency’s contact information independently rather than trusting details provided in a suspicious message."
WRTV talked with one Indianapolis man who received the text and almost fell for it but luckily noticed a couple of red flags.
"I just traveled and knew I owed toll payments so for a second I thought it was legit," said Justin Honey. "Once I looked at the email address it was texted from that's when I knew it was fake."
Honey says he later received a bill from the real toll company in the mail.
The FTC says you can report suspicious messages through your phone’s “report junk” option or by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM).
You can report these scams to the FTC and the BBB Scam Tracker, which helps authorities track fraudulent activity. After reporting, delete the text to prevent accidentally interacting with it later.
