As Michiganders are increasingly targeted by fraudulent text messages claiming unpaid tolls or tickets, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is issuing a new consumer alert to help residents avoid these scams. Toll and ticket scams are designed to steal personal and financial information by creating a false sense of urgency.
“Fake toll and ticket texts have been sent to phones across Michigan for a while now, but fraudsters are constantly evolving to try to steal our hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Nessel. “This alert will help residents stay a step ahead of these scams. Remember, if you receive one of these texts, don’t respond. Report them as spam on your device.”
Over the past year, the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team has received hundreds of complaints of fraudulent texts. Common versions of a toll or ticket scam include fake court notices, impersonations of government agencies, or fraudulent messages from private toll companies.
Recently, scam messages have included an image claiming to be a “Notice of Civil Infraction Hearing.” The notice (PNG) falsely claims to be from a district court. The message falsely warns that recipients must appear in person for a hearing or admit responsibility and pay a penalty before the hearing date. The scam also includes a QR code that leads to a deceptive website.
Other variations of the scam texts claim to be from government agencies (PNG), such as the Michigan Department of Transportation or Secretary of State, or private companies (PNG) like SunPass or E-ZPass. These fraudulent messages may demand immediate payment for unpaid tolls or fines. They also include fake links made to appear official.
Government agencies will not text residents to demand money. They will mail them a notice and offer payment options. They will not ask for or take payment by prepaid gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.
Consumers may have received a fake toll scam text if it:
- Is unsolicited.
- Is sent from an unusually long phone number (10 or more digits).
- Includes a link that is likely shortened or scrambled.
- Is written with a sense of urgency.
- Contains grammatical and spelling errors.
- Requests personal or financial information.
Consumers should not reply to these texts or click on links or attachments. Instead, they should use built-in spam-blocking tools on their mobile devices. Consumers can report smishing texts by forwarding them to SPAM (7726) and by sending the texts to the Federal Trade Commission.
To file a complaint with the Attorney General, or get additional information, contact:
Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form
