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Toll & Parking Ticket Scams

5 minute read

A tiny fake fee is sometimes just a card-stealing page in a reflective vest.

First moves

Do these before the deep dive

  1. Do not pay from the text, email, or QR code.
  2. Look up the toll road, city parking office, or parking app yourself.
  3. Check by license plate, citation number, or your real account.
  4. If you entered card details, call the card issuer.
Words to use

Steal this sentence

I am not paying from this link. I will check the official toll or parking site.

This scam works because the amount is small.

Most people will argue with a fake $900 bill. A $4.80 toll with a late-fee threat? That feels easier to pay than investigate. That is the trap.

The Safe Way To Check

Do not use the payment link that came to you.

Use one of these instead:

  • The toll agency website you type yourself.
  • The official parking office website.
  • The parking app you already use.
  • The citation number printed on a physical ticket.
  • Your license plate on the official toll or parking portal.

If the fee is real, it should appear there.

QR Codes Deserve A Second Look

Parking QR codes are convenient, which makes them easy to abuse.

If a QR code looks like a sticker placed over another sticker, do not use it. If the scanned link looks unlike the parking provider, do not use it. If you are standing next to a sign with an app name, open the app store or official site yourself instead.

If You Already Paid

Call the card issuer using the number on your card.

Say you may have entered card information into a fake toll or parking payment site. Ask whether they recommend replacing the card, disputing the charge, or adding monitoring.

If you made an account on the fake site and reused that password anywhere else, change it on the real accounts.