Illinois Tollway

Illinois I-PASS users report more Illinois Tollway scam, phishing texts

Did you receive a text saying you owed money to your Illinois I-PASS account? It's a scam, Tollway officials say

NBC Universal, Inc.

More phishing texts targeting Illinois Tollway I-Pass customers appeared to be making the rounds -- again.

Illinois tollway officials first warned of the phishing scam in the spring of 2024, with some reporting on social media that they had received text messages from an out of state number, claiming they had unpaid tolls owed to the agency. The latest messages appear to be from a 219 area code, according to screenshots of texts sent to users this weekend.

"Illinois Toll Road: Your vehicle has an unpaid toll bill for 2024," one of the texts, sent to a group of different phone numbers, reads in part. The text, with multiple emojis, then asks the users to follow a link to pay the "past due bill."

Previous versions of the phishing text came from area codes outside of the Chicago and Indiana, with different iterations of the Illinois Tollway name, including "Illinois Toll way," "Illinois Tollway Services" or "Illinois Tollway Invoice."

Most recent versions of the scam text contained the words "Illinois Toll Road," screenshots showed.

Illinois Tollway officials did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago's request for comment. A previous notice posted to the tollway website saying such messages are "not legitimate."

The agency also reminded users of the correct Illinois Tollway website to pay tolls online, and asked customers who receive a suspicious text to report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Here's more information on what to do if you receive a text, and what to look for:

WHAT TO DO

  • When you recognize a phishing message, do not click on any links or attachments.
  • Delete the email message from your Inbox and then empty it from the deleted items folder to avoid accidentally accessing the websites to which it points.
  • Forward suspicious emails that appear to be from the Illinois Tollway to info@getipass.com

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

  1. Asks for personal information: Many phishing emails request personal information such as credit card or account information, passwords, etc. Legitimate emails will never ask you to perform security-related changes to your account or send emails to collect user names, passwords, email addresses or other personal information through email.
  2. Official-looking sender's email address: The "From" line may include an email address that appears legitimate.
  3. False claims: Many phishing emails make false claims about the status of your account and ask you to update or validate your account by clicking on an embedded link in the email. Some may also include a false sense of urgency and state that your account may be in jeopardy if it is not updated immediately.
  4. Fake links: Many phishing emails include links that look valid but that send you to a spoof site. Never click on these links as the URL (web page address) shown may appear to be legitimate but may actually display a different URL when you hover over the link with your mouse.
  5. Attachments: Never click on attachments as they may cause you to download spyware or a virus.
  6. Spelling and poor grammar: Many phishing emails contain typos and poor grammar in the content.
  7. Scam artists use graphics in email that appear to be connected to legitimate websites but actually take you to phony scam sites or legitimate-looking pop-up windows.
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