Illinois Tollway, Charleston PD warn residents of text scam
CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — The Charleston Police Department is warning the public of a text scam that is circulating the area.
The text, which claims it is from the 'Illinois Tollway,' tells the recipient that they owe money for an unpaid bill. Usually, the text also details the specific outstanding toll amount. The Illinois Tollway said that these are not legitimate messages.
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Sometimes, it can be difficult to figure what is real and what isn't. Here's what you need to know, according to the Illinois Tollway:
Phishing is a common kind of fraudulent electronic communication. It includes emails, websites and phone calls that are all designed to steal money. A common kind of phishing scam starts with an email that looks like it came from a legitimate and trusted source. Then, the email recipients are directed to a fraudulent website or asked to open an attachment with viruses.
The Illinois Tollway will never ask you for your password, Social Security number or personal information through email.
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Asks for personal information: Many phishing emails request personal information such as credit card or account information, passwords, etc.
Official-looking sender's email address: The 'From' line may include an email address that appears legitimate.
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.
Fake links: Many phishing emails include links that look valid but that send you to a spoof site.
Attachments: Never click on attachments as they may cause you to download spyware or a virus.
Spelling and poor grammar: Many phishing emails contain typos and poor grammar in the content.
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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Do not reply or click on links with characteristics of a phishing email. If you think the email may be legitimate, visit the company's website by typing the real URL into your browser or contact the company to fact check the email message.
You should also delete the email message from your inbox and then empty it from your deleted items folder.
If you receive a text, you can check your account with Illinois Tollway here, or call their customer service center at 1-800-UC-IPASS (1-800-824-7277) from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. You can also file a complaint at www.ic3.gov if you receive a phishing text. Forward suspicious emails that appear to be from the Illinois Tollway to info@getipass.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Social Security Commissioner Breaks Down Plan To Save Agency From Insolvency "A Ponzi scheme and so I think it's interesting, of course, as one of our Republican witnesses is calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme, and that's the person that we should be taking advice from here today," Garcia said. Read On The Fox News App "Without Social Security, 22 million people would be pushed into poverty. That includes over 16 million seniors and nearly 1 million children. And in fact, Elon Musk has also said and agreed with you, sir, that this is a Ponzi scheme. I think it's ironic that you are one of our witnesses talking about efficiency when you want to attack the single best program that we have to support people not just out of poverty, but across this country to uplift them, to ensure they can afford a decent life." Fox News Digital spoke to Turner, who stood by his post and outlined his belief, echoed by many, that Social Security is structured like a Ponzi scheme by definition. 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