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.
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“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:

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