Example: The Unpaid Toll Text Scam

A man sits in his parked car at a gas station at dusk reading a text on his phone that shows a large "$6.99" and a link icon; through the windshield, a highway toll gantry glows against an orange sky.

In 2024, a smishing campaign spread across the United States. Millions of people received texts claiming they owed an unpaid toll road charge. The message named a real toll service. It included a plausible fine amount. It provided a link to pay.

The FBI received more than 2,000 complaints in weeks.^[1] Scammers moved the campaign from state to state, building over 10,000 fake websites to receive payments and harvest card details.