Toll road scam texts are nothing new, but the way they look is changing in an effort to get Hoosiers to believe they’re legitimate.
Indianapolis is one of the top 15 states receiving toll road scam texts, according to McAfee, one of the most well-known anti-scam and anti-virus software companies nationwide.
Recently, there have been reports of text messages containing what looks like a court summons for a toll violation. An official court summons would never be sent via text.
Here’s what Hoosiers should know.
No; Indiana Toll Roads does not text, call or email customers asking for sensitive information. The ITRCC clarified this in a recently shared statement with IndyStar.
“ITR Concession Company LLC, the operator of the Indiana Toll Road, would like to inform the public that it does not send text messages or make unsolicited phone calls requesting payment for unpaid tolls,” the ITRCC said. “Any such messages are part of ongoing ‘smishing’ campaigns targeting motorists.”
The new texts that IndyStar learned about in March 2026 is a photo sent of a document that looks like a formal court summons to the “Marion Superior Court County of Marion” for a toll violation.
The “document” includes a made-up case number and the name of the judge listed as “John Smith,” which is not the name of a real judge in Marion County.
It also signed by a Marion County Clerk, who also happens to be named “John Smith.” The Marion County Clerk is Kate Sweeney Bell.
An official court summons would arrive in the mail, be addressed to you and have a case number that if you look it up in MyCase, you would be able to find.
It also has a QR code to make the payment, which the document urges the violator to do before the court date on the document. It states the hearing would take place at the clerk’s office, which is not where court proceedings take place.
The ITRCC does not text customers asking for payment and therefore advises against clicking links, scanning QR codes or sharing personal information.
The only website where customers can manage their accounts and pay tolls is www.indianatollroad.org.
Indiana E-ZPass account holders can contact ITRCC Customer Service at (574) 675-4010 to verify the authenticity of any message and find out if they have an outstanding toll.
Representatives are available via phone Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for walk-in for assistance.
Customers should always go to www.indianatollroad.org to manage their accounts or pay tolls.
If you receive one of these texts, the following is suggested by the ITRCC:
Phishing is pronounced like the word “fishing” and is defined by Microsoft as “an attack that attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal information — such as credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords — on websites that pretend to be legitimate.”
Phishing is typically done either via phone call or email.
Smishing is essentially SMS phishing, where the method of trying to steal information is through text message.
Mary Walrath-Holdridge contributed to this report.
Katie Wiseman is a trending news reporter for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Bluesky @katiewiseman and X, formerly Twitter, at @itskatiewiseman.

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