Washington texts and emails demanding toll or ticket payments
Washington State Attorney GeneralWashington
On March 30, 2026, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown warned licensed drivers about text and email messages that impersonate agencies such as the Washington State Department of Licensing and the Department of Transportation. The messages demand payment for unpaid traffic tickets or tolls.
The office described this as a phishing or imposter scam. Messages may use official-sounding names and ask for a payment or for account details, passwords, or other personal information. Some threaten to close an account or to have you arrested. The attorney general said not to click links, not to reply, and to delete the message. The Department of Licensing and the FTC have also issued alerts about the activity.
Red flags
- A text or email says you owe a Washington toll or traffic ticket and must pay online now.
- The sender claims to be the Department of Licensing or the Department of Transportation.
- The message asks you to confirm a password, a bank account, or other personal details.
- It threatens to suspend an account or to have you arrested if you do not respond.
How to protect yourself
- Do not click links in the message, do not reply, and delete it.
- If you want to check a real toll or ticket, go to the agency through a website or phone number you look up yourself.
- Ignore threats that arrive only by text or email. Impostors use official-sounding names.
- Remember that many of these operations are hard to locate because calls are routed through numbers that hide where they start. That is a reason to report the message, not a reason to pay it.
If you are hit
- Report the message to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- If you entered a password or payment details, tell your bank or the account provider and change the password.
- You can also file at ic3.gov if a website collected the information.
Questions
Is Washington texts and emails demanding toll or ticket payments a scam?
On March 30, 2026, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown warned licensed drivers about text and email messages that impersonate agencies such as the Washington State Department of Licensing and the Department of Transportation. The messages demand payment for unpaid traffic tickets or tolls. This page summarizes a public warning from Washington State Attorney General dated March 30, 2026. The linked source is the record.
What should I do if I fell for it?
Report the message to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you entered a password or payment details, tell your bank or the account provider and change the password. You can also file at https://www.ic3.gov if a website collected the information.
Sources
- Consumer alert: Scams target licensed drivers in WashingtonWashington State Attorney General
This summary is informational and not legal advice. If it and the linked source disagree, follow the source.
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