Earlier this year, we reported on toll road scams targeting potential victims in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and California. This week, two similar scams have emerged in Illinois and Washington State, with scammers posing as toll road authorities: Illinois Tollway in the former, and Good To Go! in the latter. Citizens in Illinois and Washington should be on the lookout for bogus billing texts — read on for more.

How the Illinois Tollway and Good To Go! Scams Work

Victims receive a text message claiming their vehicle has been recorded using one of the relevant toll roads. The message warns of impending late fees and directs recipients to a website where they can supposedly settle their balance. However, this website is a carefully crafted forgery designed to capture sensitive information. Scammers exploit the fear of accumulating late fees and the desire to quickly resolve potential legal issues.

Illinois Tollway Scam Text

Illinois Tollway Scam Text Content:

• “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 illinoistollwayservices[.]com”
• “Illinois toll way: We’ve noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.20 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit iltollwayservices[.]com to settle your balance.”

Illinois Tollway Scam URLs:

• illinoistollwayservices[.]com
• iltollwayservices[.]com

Good To Go! Scam Text

Good To Go! Scam Text Content

• “Washington mygoodtogo tolls services, our records indicate that your vehicle has an unpaid toll invoice. To avoid additional charges of $66.70 please settle your balance of $6.67 at mygoodtogotoll[.]com”

Good To Go! Scam URL:

• mygoodtogotoll[.]com

Above are examples of the bogus texts that would-be victims have received. Notice the grammatical mistakes, inconsistency, and strange wording. Included is a fake Good To Go! website: while it’s a pretty convincing copy, notice how they refer to their own fee as “excessive”! The correct URL for Illinois Tollway is illinoistollway.com, and that of Good TO Go! website is mygoodtogo.com.

Toll Scams: What to Do

If you follow the scammers’ instructions and visit their phishing website, you will be asked to input personal and financial information. Providing this sensitive information puts your financial security at risk. Once submitted, scammers can use the acquired data to commit extensive financial fraud and identity theft. They can quickly exploit stolen credit cards, open new fraudulent accounts, file bogus tax returns, and commit various other crimes using victims’ identities.

If you receive a payment demand supposedly from an official body, it’s best to contact that body directly. Generally, if you’re not expecting a charge, it’s likely suspicious. Additionally:

1. Stay Cautious: If you receive such a text, pause and verify its legitimacy. Toll authorities will never ask for payment via text message.
2. Check Official Sources: Visit the official websites directly (not through links in a text) to verify your account status.
3. Report Scams: If you encounter a scam, report it to the relevant authorities.
4. Act Quickly: If you have already made a payment, contact your bank or credit card company immediately to report the charges.

Protect Yourself with ID Protection

Scams like this can have serious consequences, including identity theft, financial fraud, and job losses. We would encourage readers to head over to our new ID Protection portal, which has been designed to meet these challenges. With ID Protection, you can:

• Safeguard your social media accounts against hackers
• Receive alerts if your personal info gets leaked
• Protect against online threats, such as phishing scams
• Stop sites from collecting privacy-compromising data
• Create, store, and manage strong, tough-to-hack passwords.

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