Scam alert issued for fake Illinois DOT text messages

Police are warning the public not to fall for scam text messages that claim to be issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

On Monday, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office issued a scam alert to warn the public to be wary of text messages that appear to be sent by IDOT.

Police say that scammers will send texts while pretending to be IDOT in order to trick people into sending sensitive personal data like social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, or birthdates.

“If you recieve a text from the Illinois Department of Transportation, such as the one below, do not click the link and do not share any private information. IDOT will never reach out for important updates or ask for you private information via text,” the Sheriff’s Office warned in a Facebook post.

Police are also asking the public to warn elderly friends and family members not to fall for scams like this, as older people are frequently targeted in this type of scheme.