Costa del Sol motorway warns of text message scam

The managers of the AP-7 motorway in the Costa del Sol have warned of an attempted text message scam (known as 'smishing') that several drivers have reported.

The scammers send text messages impersonating the DGT traffic authorities from an account called DGTInfo. The SMS contains the following text: "Peaje AP-7 no abonado" ("AP-7 toll not paid"), along with the vehicle's make, model, registration number and a supposedly unpaid toll fee amount.

The message then demands payment within 24 hours, under threat of a 200-euro penalty. It provides a shortened link to access the fraudulent payment platform.

Ausol (the company that manages the AP-7 between Malaga, Marbella and Guadiaro) warns drivers that the message "is completely false and under no circumstances should the attached link be accessed".

The DGT has previously warned about this and other types of attempted fraud that are circulating.

The authorities remind the public that they never send traffic penalties via SMS text messages or emails. They are only officially communicated by post or through the Dirección Electrónica Vial (DEV) platform.