McHenry Times

Senator Dave Syverson warned his constituents that if they received a text claiming to be from the Illinois Tollway, they should "ignore it and DO NOT click the link," saying that the Tollway does not notify customers of missed tolls via text. He made the statement in a July 7 Facebook post.

"SCAM ALERT," said Syverson, State Senator, according to Facebook. "If you receive this text, please ignore it and DO NOT click the link. This is not from the Illinois Tollway and the Tollway does not notify customers of missed tolls via text."

NewsChannel20 reported on the scam on July 9, stating that the Illinois State Police are warning the public about the phone scam. The text message reads: "Illinois Toll way, our records indicate that your vehicle has an unpaid toll invoice. To avoid additional charges of $75.90, please settle your balance of $7.59 at https://illinoistollwayservices.com."

Screenshot of Sen. Dave Syverson's July 7 Facebook post | Senator Dave Syverson's Facebook page.

According to the Illinois State Police, if someone receives this text, they suggest several tips and things to pay attention to:
- Do not respond to a text message or send money to a number you do not know.
- The area code in the scammer's text message is 263 for Montreal, Canada, not Illinois.
- The spelling used in the scammer’s text is incorrect. Illinois Tollway is not spelled "Illinois Toll way." The link in the text message is also incorrect.

The Illinois Tollway has been informed of the current scam and advises I-PASS customers to disregard phishing texts from "Illinois toll way." They say individuals who receive such texts can check their accounts online or call the customer service center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Illinois Tollway also says that customers should "delete any text that you receive stating an outstanding toll amount." It suggests those who receive these texts should file a complaint at www.ic3.gov.

Senator Syverson was first elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1993. He currently represents the people of the 35th District. He is a lifelong resident of Illinois and a business owner. When he is not in Springfield, he works as a financial and benefits consultant at Syverson Resource Advisors. He is also a member of various area Chambers of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the National Association of Financial Planners. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Mercyhealth System, according to his official biography.