# Unpaid toll and parcel texts: spot the scam

> A text about unpaid tolls or a missed USPS delivery? Why it is almost always smishing, how to check the real account safely and where to report it, US and UK.

- Canonical URL: https://threatvetting.com/toll-and-parcel-text-scams/
- Source: [FTC Consumer Alert, Got a text about unpaid tolls? It's probably a scam](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/01/got-text-about-unpaid-tolls-its-probably-scam)
- Checked: 2026-10-26
- Structured data: https://threatvetting.com/data/toll-and-parcel-text-scams.json

## The two texts everyone gets
**"You have an unpaid toll."** The FTC describes texts claiming you owe tolls and must pay now, sometimes with an amount, and a link to a page asking for card or bank details. Clicking can also expose things like your driver's licence number. Scammers pose as toll agencies across the country ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/01/got-text-about-unpaid-tolls-its-probably-scam)).

**"Your package could not be delivered."** The US Postal Inspection Service says USPS does not text or email customers unless they first asked for it with a tracking number, and that a genuine USPS message will not contain a link ([USPIS](https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing)).

## Paste the link, not your card
Before anything else, long-press the link, copy it and paste it into our [link checker](https://threatvetting.com/). It shows the real domain: the name just before the first single slash. Watch for a familiar word (a toll brand, "usps", "parcel") placed in front of a domain that belongs to someone else; the checker flags well-known brand names used outside their own site.

## Check the real account safely
| Text claims to be from | Safe way to check |
|---|---|
| A toll agency | Its phone number or website that you already know, not the one in the text ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/01/got-text-about-unpaid-tolls-its-probably-scam)) |
| USPS | Only if you requested tracking; type the tracking number into the USPS site yourself ([USPIS](https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing)) |
| Royal Mail or another UK courier | Type the courier's address yourself; do not use the link ([NCSC](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/shopping-online-securely)) |

## Report, then delete
**US:**

- Use your phone's "report junk" option ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/01/got-text-about-unpaid-tolls-its-probably-scam)); the forwarding numbers for every scam type are on [where to report](https://threatvetting.com/how-to-report-a-scam-email-or-text/).
- For a USPS look-alike, also email **spam@uspis.gov**: copy the text into the email without clicking the link, add your name and a screenshot showing the sender's number and date, and say whether you clicked, paid or shared anything ([USPIS](https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing)).
- Then delete it.

**UK:**

- Forward the text to the free short code the NCSC lists on [where to report](https://threatvetting.com/how-to-report-a-scam-email-or-text/), then delete it.

## Already tapped or paid?
- **Only tapped:** the USPIS says to tell your bank even if you did not submit anything ([USPIS](https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing)).
- **Entered card details:** call the number on the back of your card and ask for the charge to be reversed ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed)).
- Full steps by payment type: [gave a scammer your details or money](https://threatvetting.com/gave-my-details-to-a-scammer/). Phone clean-up: [iPhone](https://threatvetting.com/i-clicked-a-phishing-link-on-my-iphone/), [Android](https://threatvetting.com/i-clicked-a-phishing-link-on-android/).

## Why they work
The FTC puts it simply: scammers want you to react quickly, so stop and check ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/01/got-text-about-unpaid-tolls-its-probably-scam)). A small amount and a short deadline are designed to make paying feel easier than checking. More red flags: [signs a message is a scam](https://threatvetting.com/signs-a-message-is-a-scam/).

Left out of this page: real toll or parking fines sent by post, which you should check with the issuing authority directly.

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