Toll road text scam: Illinois residents targeted by fake payment demands

ILLINOIS - Scammers are sending fake toll payment texts to drivers in Illinois, urging them to pay up—or face extra fees.

What we know:

The phishing messages may appear to come from various toll agencies, such as I-PASS or FasTrak. Regardless of the sender, officials confirm they are not legitimate.

Scammers include threats of additional fees if payments aren't made within a certain timeframe, and they provide a link urging recipients to copy and paste it into a browser. 

Officials warn against clicking the link, responding to the message, or making any payments.

Some of the text messages may appear like this: 

What they're saying:

"The Tollway has been alerted to a text message phishing scam claiming that recipients owe money for unpaid tolls and detailing a specific outstanding toll amount. These are not legitimate messages from the Illinois Tollway," the Illinois Tollway said in a statement. 

What you can do:

If you are concerned about unpaid tolls, check your Illinois Tollway account here or call customer service at 800-824-7277. Representatives are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

You are also encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at this link. 

To learn more about how to recognize phishing scam texts or emails, visit the Illinois Tollway website here.