The Illinois Tollway has used open-road tolling since 2006 and its convenience has allowed the state to issue over 5 million transponders for use. Automatic billing is another convenience that has ensured missed tolls and fines are a thing of the past. Those conveniences, however, haven't stopped scammers from attempting to get access to your payment details.
Recently, Illinois residents have been waking up to text messages on their phones claiming they have an unpaid balance — which is associated with a hefty fine if left unpaid. As with all text message scams, these messages are written to create an instant reaction based on fear, concern, or panic. Scammers include a link, to a website that feels legitimate, and hope that emotional reaction will cause the recipient to react and click the link. The link in their message will lead you to a website where you can easily provide payment information — and because it looks official, it's possible the recipient will trust it.
While you should avoid clicking links in your text messages as a safe practice, there are still times when the link seems correct or official. Unfortunately, the website provided in these text messages are not going to an official Illinois Tollway website.
If you don't recognize the scam and click the link to pay the fine, your payment details and possibly any other information entered into the website may now be in the hands of scammers. If this scam has impacted you, you should contact your financial institution immediately to notify them that your payment details have been exposed to a scam.
Members of First Northern Credit Union should call us at (888) 328-8677 during regular business hours. If you have used a credit card, there is a number on the back of your card that can connect you to customer service for assistance.
Tips to Avoid This Scam
- Familiarize yourself with the official websites of the IL Tollway.
- If you are unsure about a link in ANY text message, utilize a search engine or your personal bookmarks to access sites you regularly visit.
- Know that missed/unpaid tolls for I-Pass account holders are automatically paid through your I-Pass account. If your transponder isn't working, tolls are paid by your associated plate. By logging into your account, you can determine if any tolls were paid via "Video" which may mean your transponder isn't positioned right or has a dead battery.
- If you are not an I-Pass owner and you do not pay online within 14 days, you will receive an invoice through the mail, delivered to the address connected to the registration of your license plate.
- The only text messages that the IL Tollway send out are to those users who have signed up for this format of notification and they will come from the short code phone number of 48407.
By becoming aware of the proper procedures of the Illinois Tollway and fees associated with unpaid tolls, you can ensure that you can easily click 'Report Junk' or simply delete the text message telling you to pay a $75.90 fee.
If you are concerned there might be a fine on your account, you can login into your account securely at www.illinoistollway.com or you can contact I-Pass customer service at 1-800-UC-IPASS (1-800-824-7277) from 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays.
You can find more information on this scam and Fraudulent Electronic Communications at the IL Tollway website: https://www.illinoistollway.com/fraudulent-electronic-communication