Text message scams: unpaid tolls, package problems and "wrong number" texts

A text arrives on the device you carry everywhere, from a number you cannot easily check, with a link that looks short and harmless. In 2025, a text message was the most common first contact method in fraud reports to the FTC (FTC testimony, March 2026).

The money lost is rising even though fewer people report these texts. In 2024, people reported $470 million lost to text scams, more than five times the 2020 number (FTC Data Spotlight, April 2025). The share of text scam reports that included a loss has more than doubled:

The FTC hand-coded a random sample of 2024 text fraud reports and found five types made up about half of all text frauds reported.

1. Fake package delivery problems

A message, usually claiming to be the US Postal Service, says a package could not be delivered and links to a copy of the USPS site. It asks for a small “redelivery fee”. The fee is the bait; the real target is your card number, and sometimes your Social Security number. USPS does not text you about a delivery unless you signed up for tracking texts for that package.

2. Phony job offers (task scams)

An unexpected text offers easy, flexible work, often “rating” products or apps. You see earnings pile up in an app. Then you are told to deposit money, often crypto, to reach the next level or withdraw. The earnings were never real. A real employer never asks you to pay to be paid.

3. Fake fraud alerts

“Did you make a $1,200 purchase? Reply YES or NO.” Reply, and a fake fraud department calls you. Over the call, the story escalates until you are moving your savings to a “safe” account. Our imposter scams guide covers how these calls work.

4. Unpaid toll notices

Texts claiming to be from toll agencies, from SunPass to FasTrak to E-ZPass, say you owe a small balance and face a fine. The link leads to a fake payment page that collects your card and personal details. Check any toll balance by opening your toll account directly or calling the number on your statement.

5. “Wrong number” texts that are not

A friendly message meant for someone else: “Hi, are we still on for coffee?” If you reply to say wrong number, a chatty stranger strikes up a friendship, sometimes a flirtation, and eventually mentions how well their crypto trading is going. This is the opening of an investment scam, and the FTC reports people often lose tens of thousands of dollars.

• You were not expecting it, and it wants you to tap a link, call a number or reply.
• It threatens a fee, a fine, a closed account or a missed package if you do not act today.
• The link does not go to the organisation’s real website, or is shortened so you cannot tell.
• It comes from an email address or a long, random-looking number.
• It is from a stranger who seems oddly keen to keep talking.

1. Forward it to 7726 (SPAM on a keypad). This is free and helps your carrier block similar messages.
2. Use “Report junk” in Apple Messages, or “Report spam” in Google Messages on Android.
3. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
4. Turn on filtering. iPhone can filter texts from unknown senders into a separate list, and Google Messages has built-in spam protection. Your carrier may offer a free blocking app as well. See our iPhone and Android settings checklists.

Delete the text after reporting it. Do not reply STOP to a suspicious number; it confirms yours is live.

• Entered a card number: call your card issuer on the number on the card, report the fraud and get a new card. Card charges can be disputed.
• Entered a password: change it now, everywhere you reused it, and turn on two-factor authentication.
• Entered your Social Security number or ID: go to IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit.
• Sent money for a job or investment: contact the bank, payment app or crypto exchange you used, then report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov.

Tapping a link on an up-to-date phone rarely installs anything by itself; the risk is what you type on the page that opens. Keep your phone updated anyway (see keeping devices updated). This is general information, not legal or financial advice.