A new text message on your phone may claim to be from the Illinois Tollway. But it’s actually a scammer after your money. NBC 5 Responds was tipped off by a viewer who contacted us and shared the text. NBC Chicago’s PJ Randhawa reports.
Across Illinois, drivers are receiving text messages claiming to be from the Illinois Tollway accusing them of "toll evasion" or having unpaid tolls.
"These are phishing text scams. Do not respond or provide payment information," the Illinois Tollway wrote on social media last month.
These EZ Pass scam messages warn drivers they need to pay either immediately or within a certain time frame before the fees increase and are reported to DMVs.
According to CNBC, the scam is known as "smishing," a type of scam that blends SMS messaging with phishing. Phishing is a type of cybercrime in which scammers impersonate sources in an attempt to steal sensitive data.
The scam has now been plaguing Illinoisans for over a year. Although officials have recommended ignoring the messages, not everyone does- which makes the whole endeavor worthwhile for hackers, and which is why the toll texts keep coming, according to CNBC.
Illinois tollway officials first warned of the phishing scam in the spring of 2024. According to the FBI, over 60,000 complaints over this scam came in nationwide- and that number is for 2024 alone.
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."
More recent versions just say "toll roads."
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.
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Here's more information on what to do if you receive a text, and what to look for:
WHAT TO DO
According to the Illinois Tollway, here's what you should do if you receive a message:
- Don’t click on any links in, or respond to, unexpected texts. Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.
- Check to see if the text is legitimate. Reach out to the Illinois Tollway via our Official Tollway App, log into your I-PASS account, visit our website at illinoistollway.com or call our customer service center at (800) 824-7277. Due to high call volume, hours have been temporarily extended to 8 p.m.
- Report and delete unwanted text messages. Use your phone’s “report junk” option to report unwanted texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726 (SPAM). Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the text.
