Is the "unpaid toll" text a scam?

Yes. The Ohio Turnpike doesn't send bills by text.

Don't tap the link or scan the code. Delete it.

Seen in OhioLast checked November 2026

Watch it happen

1 of 5

Tap through it. Each trick gets named as it happens.

+1 (628) 555-0143Text message, a made-up example

Ohio Turnpike Tolls Services: You have an unpaid toll of $6.85.
A small amount, so paying feels easier than worrying.
Tap next to keep going.

1Don't tap the link and don't scan the code.
2Forward the text to 7726 (that spells SPAM), then delete it.
3If you want to be sure, type ezpassoh.com or ohioturnpike.org yourself and check your account.

What to say: Nothing. You don't need to reply at all. Replying tells them your number works.

The real place to check: ezpassoh.com or ohioturnpike.org, typed in yourself.

Practice

Practice is what helps most. Take a look and pick one.

+1 (419) 555-0182Text message, a made-up example

OHIO BMV: Final notice. Unpaid traffic fine of $12.50. Your registration will be suspended 11/14. Scan the code in the attached notice to pay.

How it works, start to finish

A text says you owe a few dollars in tolls, or a parking or traffic fine. Pay today or there's a late fee, and maybe your license gets suspended.

The amount is small, so paying feels easier than worrying. But the link goes to a fake page that takes your card number, and sometimes more.

Some newer ones come with a fake court notice, a judge's name and a QR code. The Ohio Attorney General and the BMV both warned about those in 2026.

All the signs

A small amount, with a big penalty if you wait.
A link or a QR code to pay.
A web address that isn't the real one. Look at the end: .top, .xyz or a long jumble.
A threat to your license or registration.

The four steps almost every scam follows

Step 1
A scary alarm
Your account, your benefits, your record or your computer is in trouble.
Step 2
Hurry
Act now, stay on the line, don't tell anyone.
Step 3
Only one fix
Theirs. Do exactly what they say.
Step 4
Money that can't come back
Gift cards, a Bitcoin machine, a wire, or cash handed to a courier.

By the numbers

The Ohio Turnpike bills by mail, with up to three paper invoices. Never by text.
Texts are now the most common way scams reach people.
Losses from scam texts and emails tripled in 2025, to about $216 million.

Where to report it

Where this comes from

Think of someone who'd get this. A parent, a grandparent, a neighbor who lives alone. Sending it is a way of saying you care.

Ask me first. Got one and not sure? Send it to me. I'll tell you what I think and what to do. It's on me, and it stays between us.