Last Updated on April 15, 2025 by Kristin
Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time to start planning that bucket-list road trip. Unfortunately, scammers are also busy with a scheme to hit drivers with phony bills for unpaid tolls. Renting a car this year? Be wary of the latest toll scam.
Over recent months, tens of thousands of Americans have received bogus text messages and emails about fake toll charges. It’s prompted both local and federal authorities to warn drivers not to click on suspicious links or give away personal information.
Drivers renting a car and driving on unfamiliar roads should be particularly cautious about these text messages. Scammers are banking on people being confused and afraid they may have accidentally passed through an electronic toll point without paying.
That scenario may already sound familiar to some rental car customers. After all, it’s not unheard of for travelers to receive legitimate toll charges from the rental car company weeks after their trip. This can happen if you forget to activate a transponder and a camera snaps a photo of the car’s license plate. But even if you receive an unexpected toll bill after renting a car, it’s important to know is that it will never come via text.
How Does the Text Toll Scam Work?
In recent months, many Americans have received a variety of scam texts disguised as urgent messages from state highway authorities or toll collection systems such as E-ZPass.
The messages typically tell recipients they must pay an outstanding balance immediately to avoid losing their license or facing legal penalties. The payment amounts are small and may appear believable. However, what the scammers really want is for people to click on a link in the message so that they can steal their personal information and data. These links often appear to be connected to official government websites, but don’t be fooled.
As the word spreads that these texts are fake, scammers will find new tactics to keep their messages fresh to ensnare victims. For example, Utah authorities are warning that the scammers are turning to phone calls as well.
How Do You Pay a Toll in a Rental Car?
So, how do you pay for tolls when renting a car? Knowing how this process works will help you shield yourself against potential scams.
While some toll booths might still accept cash, many state highways now use cashless systems. When renting a car, you have two options for paying tolls electronically. You can use the rental car company’s toll transponder, or bring your own.
Rental Car Transponder: If you opt for the rental car company’s transponder, you will likely pay an administrative fee for each day it is activated. Some rental car companies may also offer an unlimited tolling option for a higher fee.
Bringing Your Own Transponder: To save money, you can often bring your own transponder to use in the rental. However, each state and toll collection system has differing rules about whether the rental car should be registered. Be sure to follow all instructions. When in doubt, call the toll authority to ensure you won’t have any issues paying tolls with your own account.
In some cases, drivers have been unaware of passing through toll locations. They were notified of surprise charges from the rental company weeks after returning the vehicle. This can happen if a toll camera takes a photo of the license plate. The highway authority sends the bill to the rental car company. Then the rental company comes back to you later with an added fee. When the rental car company notifies you about the extra charges, it will never be via text message.
Before renting a car, check to make sure that there are no toll roads on your planned journey. If there are, decide how you plan to pay for tolls before hitting the road. If you decline the rental car company’s transponder and do not set up your own, you will likely receive a bill later for much more than you were expecting to pay.
How Can You Check Your Toll Balance?
Want to check your outstanding toll balance? Simply call the rental car company’s customer service phone number. Keep in mind that extra toll charges can take a month or two to show up and be billed to your account. If you have your own transponder through E-ZPass or another service, you should be able to check your balance online or by calling the customer service number. Never navigate to these websites by clicking a link in a suspicious text. Instead, delete and block the message and contact then use a web browser to visit the appropriate company’s website.
What Should You Do if You Receive a Suspicious Toll Text?
The most important piece of advice is: Do not click on links or attachments. You can report spam texts to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If you did click a suspicious link or share personal information, take the necessary precautions to scan your computer for malware and ask your bank for options to monitor your account for any suspicious activity.
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