Does E-ZPass really text about unpaid tolls?

E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail will never send a text or email asking for personal information such as credit card details. A legitimate E-ZPass New York text comes from the short code 39769 and starts with 'EZPNY' — never from a random or international number, and never with a payment link.

I clicked the link and entered my card details, what now?

Contact your bank or card issuer immediately to freeze the card and dispute any charges. File a report at the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov), and forward the original text to 7726 (SPAM) to alert your carrier.

"Unpaid Toll" Text Scam: The Fake E-ZPass Bill (2026)

What E-ZPass and state toll authorities actually say: E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail will never send a text or email asking for personal information such as credit card numbers. A legitimate E-ZPass New York text comes from the short code 39769 and begins with "EZPNY" — never a random 10-digit or international number.

How the fake toll text works

Step 1

The urgent text

You get a text — often from an international number — claiming an unpaid toll balance, sometimes a specific small amount, threatening late fees or DMV reporting.

Step 2

The "reply Y" trick

Some versions ask you to reply "Y" first. This confirms your number is active and monitored, making it more valuable to resell to other scam operations.

Step 3

The lookalike site

The link leads to a page that copies the real toll authority's branding closely enough to pass a quick glance, with a payment form waiting.

Step 4

The theft

Entering your card details there hands them directly to the scammers — not to any real toll authority.

How to spot it

A text with a link at all: Real toll bills come by mail or through your official E-ZPass account — not an unsolicited text with a payment link.
The sender: Legitimate E-ZPass NY texts come only from short code 39769. Any other number is not E-ZPass.
The URL: Anything other than the exact official domain of your state's toll authority is fraudulent, however convincing it looks.

What to do if you get this text

Don't click, don't reply: Not even "STOP" — replying confirms your number is active.
Report it: File a complaint at the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, ic3.gov, and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to alert your carrier.
Check the real way: If you're unsure, log into your actual E-ZPass or toll account directly — never through a link in a text — to check your real balance.

Egidio: your automatic phishing detector

These texts work because they create urgency and mimic a routine bill — exactly the moment people let their guard down. Egidio is built to catch that moment.

Egidio screens incoming calls and scans links arriving through your messaging apps in real time. When it recognizes a fake toll or government site, it steps in and blocks the page before it loads — no need to remember every short code or domain yourself.

Install Egidio