SunPass text message scam widespread in Florida
Did you receive a text from SunPass about an unpaid bill? Authorities say it’s a scam.
Fox – 35 Orlando
Officials in several states said this month that scammers are sending text messages to Americans trying to trick them into providing financial information under the guise of paying for parking or tolls.
In the messages, scammers often claim to be Department of Transport or High Court officials and tell potential victims that “records show unpaid traffic violations against your vehicle.”
The message includes a date on which authorities will take action, such as suspending your vehicle’s registration or charging you a fee, if you do not click on the link and pay.
Authorities have issued warnings about scams in Indiana, Maryland and Michigan, and the problem appears to be on the rise in March.
This scam has been going on since at least 2024. Scammers often impersonate the recipient’s state’s toll-toll service. For example, scammers targeting California residents will send texts claiming to come from FastTrak, while scammers targeting New York residents will send texts claiming to come from EZ Pass.
In April 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that it had received more than 2,000 complaints reporting fraudulent toll collection services in three states. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a notice in January 2025 that scammers are targeting them again.
On Friday, March 20, USA TODAY contacted federal officials including the FBI, FTC, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Justice, and the General Services Administration, which manages federal buildings and parking lots across the country, about the fraudulent messages, but officials have not yet responded.
How do I know if it’s a scam?
Recent scams include messages purporting to be from the Department of Transportation. Scammers warn recipients that there are parking or toll fees that must be paid or risk authorities suspending the vehicle’s registration or license or charging additional fees.
“Verify your case details and submit your payment through MDOT’s official website: https://maryland.org-gfcvc.bond/dmv,” a scammer recently sent to Maryland residents. “Reply Y to update this notification. When you’re ready, click the link above to complete your payment.”
Other residents in Maryland and Indiana received similar messages.
This time, the scammers posed as representatives from courts in Indiana and Maryland. The scammer included the case number and the judge’s name in the message, telling the recipient that a hearing was scheduled. Options include filing a dispute online or paying the fee.
Some messages also include QR codes that customers can scan with their mobile phones.
What are the officials saying?
Maryland’s attorney general’s office issued an alert on March 19 warning local residents about the scam.
“This is a scam and the Fayette (Street) Courthouse will be closed,” the notice states. “Recipients should not click on links, scan QR codes, or provide payment or personal information. Maryland courts will not send texts requesting payment or personal information via text, phone call, or email.”
Justice officials said anyone who receives the documents and has questions can contact the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division Hotline at 410-528-8662 or 888-743-0023.
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office also issued a warning this week that foreign scammers are behind text scams in the state. The scammers sent Indiana residents “severe written warnings,” the office said.
“The text appears authentic,” the bureau wrote. “It features official language and an image of the Indiana state seal. The problem is that the text is from a phishing scammer.”
Phishing, or cyberattacks, occur when fraudsters impersonate a legitimate organization and trick recipients into clicking on a link, opening an infected attachment, providing sensitive information, or making a financial payment.
“Don’t be fooled by these schemes,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said in the notice. “Please ignore these texts. Delete them.”
How do I know it’s a scam?
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office said in a March 18 warning that fraudulent messages often include the following:
- Urgent or threatening language.
- Websites and email addresses that do not match the expected sender’s official domain.
- Unusual requests for sensitive personal information such as passwords, social security numbers, and bank account information. Legitimate organizations won’t ask for this information over text.
- Common greetings and poor grammar.
- Inaccurate or sloppy copying of the national emblem or other official symbols.
According to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, scammers may use services that sell U.S. traffic fine data and information about people who have actually committed traffic violations. These people have recent traffic violations and are more likely to fall for text message tricks.
The agency said that while U.S. government agencies cannot stop scammers before they send a text message, world leaders are working together to ensure they stay up to date on the tools scammers use to target people.
“Modern text fraud is an organized and innovative criminal activity,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a warning. “We are doing everything in our power to bring these lawbreakers to justice, but for now we must continue to focus on raising awareness and providing education to Hoosiers to avoid becoming victims in the first place.”
Contributor: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Greta Cross, USA TODAY
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trends team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia (757). Email sdmartin@usatoday.com.
