ADOT sounds alarm about scam text messages demanding toll payment

PHOENIX – If you receive a text message warning you about overdue tolls allegedly from “AZDOT,” it’s a scam.

The biggest tell, of course, is that the Arizona highway system doesn’t have toll roads.

That text is a scam: ADOT isn’t after you for delinquent tolls

MORE: https://t.co/c3P3x20TzT pic.twitter.com/qwz0ayJb28

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) March 25, 2025

But the messages, which demand payment by a certain date and provide a link, can be disconcerting.

Whatever you do, don’t click the link in the message. It’s a type of scam the FBI calls smishing (a combination of SMS and phishing), where text messages are used to try to trick victims into sending money or revealing private information.

How to spot a scam text message warning

In response to the recent spate of bogus overdue toll text messages, the Arizona Department of Transportation released some tips Tuesday on how to spot scams.

• The source of the message is a phone number from another country.
• The link URL includes azdot.gov but continues into another domain.
• The message says AZDOT, but the agency refers to itself as ADOT.
• Watch for broken English such as “Now Payment.”

If you have an iPhone and you receive one of these messages, you can use the “report junk” function.

Another option is to file a complaint with the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center. Be sure to include the text sender’s phone number and any web address contained within the message.

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