Maryland Warns Drivers of Toll Payment Text Scams
The state authority says it never uses SMS for toll billing to prevent users from clicking on fraudulent links.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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The Maryland Transportation Authority is warning drivers to ignore fraudulent text messages requesting toll payments. These smishing attempts impersonate the official DriveEzMD platform to steal personal information or solicit illicit payments.
Why it matters
The alert aims to protect Maryland drivers from widespread text-based phishing attacks that exploit toll-collection systems to compromise financial or personal data. This surge in deceptive messaging highlights the growing risk of credential theft targeting state-level administrative services.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation tracked over 2,000 complaints concerning toll-related smishing since early March 2024. The total number of successful compromises remains unknown, as the agency continues to analyze the scale of these fraudulent campaigns.
The players
Maryland Transportation Authority
The state agency responsible for managing toll facilities, transportation infrastructure, and the DriveEzMD toll payment portal.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The domestic intelligence and security service of the United States that tracks cybercrime trends and monitors large-scale phishing campaigns.
The details
Smishing—short for SMS phishing—is a security threat where attackers send deceptive text messages to illicitly capture sensitive data or money. These specific scams mirror the branding and logos of the DriveEzMD portal to create an appearance of legitimacy. By directing recipients to fraudulent links, attackers aim to harvest personal information or prompt users to settle fake unpaid balances under the threat of late fees.
Timeline
March 2024: The FBI began receiving reports regarding toll-collection smishing.
2024: The FBI released a public service announcement regarding smishing trends.
October 25, 2026: The Maryland Transportation Authority issued a renewed warning to state drivers.
The Tech Race
This warning follows a pattern set by the 2024 FBI public service announcement on smishing by applying federal threat intelligence to a state-level system. It marks an ongoing effort to mitigate automated social engineering tactics that target public infrastructure.
Maryland drivers should avoid clicking any links in unsolicited texts regarding toll payments, as the authority never uses SMS for these requests. Instead, account management and payments should only be handled via the DriveEzMD official toll management portal or by calling 1-888-321-6824.
The takeaway
The rise of toll-collection scams underscores the need to verify any payment request through official, established channels rather than text links. Drivers should monitor their personal accounts for unauthorized activity and report suspicious messages to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Further reading
For broader trends in digital safety, read more in Cybersecurity.
More information
For official account information, visit the DriveEzMD official toll management portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The MoCo Show.
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