Toll and traffic fine scams

Toll and traffic-fine scams are fake 'unpaid toll' or 'traffic violation' texts that threaten penalties to rush you into paying on a fake page.

How toll and traffic fine scams work

You get a text claiming an unpaid toll, FASTag/Salik issue, or traffic/parking fine, with a threat of penalties or licence problems.

The link opens a fake government-style payment page that captures your card and personal details.

Real toll and fine systems are managed in official apps or websites, not via a surprise text link.

Common opening lines

• “You have an unpaid toll - pay now to avoid a late fee and penalties.”
• “Traffic violation recorded; pay the fine now to avoid extra penalties.”
• “Your FASTag/Salik is blocked due to low balance - recharge here.”

Example patterns

Sanitised examples - placeholders only, never real links or data.

Red flags

• urgency
• threat
• fake authority
• suspicious link

What to do now

1. Hang up or stop replying; real authorities don't work this way.
2. Don't transfer money to 'prove innocence' or a 'safe account'.
3. Save evidence, warn family, and report to your cybercrime authority.

What not to do

• Don't stay on threatening calls or follow remote instructions.
• Don't pay fines or 'clearance fees' via links, gift cards, crypto, or transfers.
• Don't share ID, Aadhaar/PAN, passport, or KYC details from a message link.

If you already responded

If you went further: if you clicked, don't enter anything and change any details you typed; if you entered card details, freeze the card with your bank; if you shared an OTP, change the password and enable app-based 2FA; if you paid, contact your bank or provider immediately; if you installed an app or gave remote access, disconnect, uninstall, and change passwords from a clean device.

How to verify safely

Check any toll, FASTag/Salik balance, or fine directly on the official authority website or app you look up yourself.

How to report

Report through official channels you find yourself - never a number or link from the message. Tell your bank or payment provider if money moved, and file with your national fraud or cybercrime body. Find the right links in the reporting directory. Open the reporting directory.

Watch for 'recovery' offers afterwards: anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is running a second scam.

Sources checked

• FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams
• Compliance Alliance - FTC data: top text message scams of 2024 ($470M losses)

Last reviewed: 2026-06-05

This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice. We can't detect every scam or guarantee recovery - always verify through official channels.