People nationwide are being alerted of an ongoing text message scam in which recipients receive fake text messages claiming they owe money for unpaid tolls.
In California, the texts may be fake FasTrak tolls, sometimes misspelled as FastTrak. In other parts of the country, they may be fake E-ZPass messages.
In January, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned drivers of a sharp increase in text-based toll scam activity. The Federal Trade Commission also released a consumer alert about the scam in January, saying scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies from “coast to coast.”
It’s a form of smishing, according to a Public Service Announcement from the FBI in 2024.
Here’s what to know.
The word itself is a play on SMS, or short message service, and phishing.
Smishing is an attack using fake text messages to “trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or sending money to cybercriminals,” according to the FBI. Phishing generally refers to attacks on the internet, email or websites that gets people to disclose sensitive or personal information, according to the FBI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Smishing messages often appear to be from a legitimate source like a company or government agency and may have urgent language in an attempt to get people to act quickly — and to their detriment — according to online protection company McAfee.
Smishing could lead to identity theft, credit card fraud and stolen bank information, according to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
The texts claim consumers owe FasTrak express lane or toll charges and ask for online payment with a link to a website, according to the press release. The scam is designed to deceive drivers into entering banking or credit card information into a website. 
“Scammers have become skilled at imitating legitimate companies, sometimes even linking to legitimate websites,” Bonta said in a statement. “Text-based toll charge scams are prevalent right now, and knowing what to look for can keep consumers safe against these tactics.”
According to the release, FasTrak is the electronic toll collection system used on tolled bridges, lanes, and roads in California. It allows drivers to pay tolls electronically without having to stop at toll booths.
FasTrak does not request payment by text with a link to a website.
Transportation Corridor Agencies, the operator of The Toll Roads in Orange County, advises accountholders to verify a valid text notification by logging into their account at thetollroads.com or through The Toll Roads app.
The Toll Roads and other state tolling agencies do not send text messages to non-account holders, according to the release.
For other toll agencies, use only official web pages.
Los Angeles and San Diego are among the 15 cities nationwide that are receiving the highest frequency of these scam toll texts, USA TODAY reported.
If you receive a possible scam text:
Receiving a fake message that you owe money for an unpaid toll isn’t the only example of smishing.
Here are a few other examples of a smishing text message, according to McAfee, to help you better spot the scam.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.

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