Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joined a chorus of state and suburban leaders Wednesday warning the public of a deluge of text scams that arrive on targets’ phones disguised as official court or government communications.
The texts often state the recipient owes money on an unpaid traffic, toll or parking violation, and failure to pay up could lead to further consequences, such as the loss of driving privileges, additional fines or issuance of an arrest warrant.
The recipient is directed to click on a link or scan a QR code, where they could be asked to make a payment, share personal information that could be used to steal their identity or have damaging malware installed on their device.
“These fraudulent texts look more and more official every day,” Giannoulias said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “They sound urgent and they are designed to scare people into clicking a link or paying an alleged fine.
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“Our office will never send a text message demanding payment or threatening to revoke your driver’s license,” he added. “If you receive a text message like that, do not click. Do not respond. It is a scam.”
Anyone who receives such a text should take a snapshot of it and forward the image to scamalert@ilsos.gov before deleting the text.
“While every Illinoisan can be targeted, we know that vulnerable individuals, including seniors and residents with limited digital literacy, are more likely to fall for the scheme,” Giannoulias said. “That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to please, please talk to loved ones who may be at risk.”
The Cook County sheriff’s, chief judge’s and circuit court clerk’s offices, along with several suburban police departments, have issued similar warnings in recent days.
“The Circuit Court does not send hearing notices in this format, does not demand payment through unsolicited QR codes, and does not threaten arrest or credit reporting in this manner for unpaid parking matters,” the office of Chief Judge Charles Beach said in a written statement.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260325/crime/do-not-click-state-suburban-leaders-warn-of-text-scam-surge/