How to Spot Fake Toll Road and E-Tag Invoice Scams in Australia

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to Spot Fake Toll Road and E-Tag Invoice Scams in Australia. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Fraudulent toll road and E-Tag invoices are circulating across Australia, targeting drivers with fake payment requests that impersonate legitimate transport operators such as Linkt, Transurban, and state-based tolling agencies. These scams often arrive by email or SMS and attempt to steal credit card details or install malware. This guide explains how to identify these scams and protect your personal information.

Check the Sender and Message Format

1. Inspect the sender's email address carefully. Scammers often use addresses that look similar to official domains but contain small misspellings or extra characters.
2. Look for generic greetings such as Dear Customer instead of your name or account details.
3. Be suspicious of urgent language demanding immediate payment to avoid fines or licence suspension.
4. Check for poor spelling, grammar, or inconsistent formatting, which are common in fraudulent messages.

Verify Through Official Channels

1. Open your web browser and navigate directly to your toll operator's official website by typing the address manually.
2. Log in using your usual credentials and check your account dashboard for any outstanding invoices or notices.
3. If you use a mobile E-Tag app, open the app and review your transaction history and outstanding balance there.
4. Compare any invoice reference numbers against those shown in your official account.

Identify Common Scam Tactics

• Fake invoices claiming you used a toll road you have never visited.
• SMS messages containing shortened links or bit.ly URLs.
• Requests to pay via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or direct bank transfer to an unfamiliar account.
• Attachments claiming to be invoice PDFs that may contain malware.
• Messages from interstate operators you do not have an account with.

If You Suspect a Scam

1. Do not reply to the email or SMS.
2. Do not download or open any attachments.
3. Mark the message as junk or phishing in your email client.
4. Block the sender's number or email address.
5. Delete the message from your inbox and trash folder.

Legitimate toll operators in Australia will never ask you to pay via cryptocurrency or gift cards, and they will not send invoices from free email services such as Gmail or Outlook.com.

If you have already clicked a link and entered credit card details, contact your bank immediately to cancel or freeze the affected card. You should also report the incident to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.

I Am Not Sure If an Invoice Is Real

1. Visit your toll operator's official website using a saved bookmark or by typing the URL directly.
2. Use the contact form or phone number listed on the official website to enquire about the invoice.
3. Do not use any contact details provided in the suspicious message.

I Accidentally Clicked a Link

1. Close the browser window or tab immediately.
2. Do not enter any personal or payment information on the page.
3. Run a full security scan on your device using your antivirus software.
4. Clear your browser cache and history.

I Received Multiple Scam Messages

1. Report each message to your email provider as phishing.
2. Block the sender addresses or phone numbers.
3. Consider registering your mobile number on the Australian Do Not Call Register.

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