If you drive through Chicago-area tolls, watch your back—and your I-PASS. A clever new scam is popping up on local highways, and it’s leaving honest drivers footing the bill for people who fake being stuck at toll gates.
Here’s how it works: a driver pulls up to the I-PASS-only lane, pretends their transponder is broken, and stops dead. The barrier won’t lift (because they never had a working I-PASS in the first place). Cars line up behind them, unable to move or back out. The pressure builds.
Then comes the hustle.
The scammer leans out, waves frantically, and yells something like, “Hey! My I-PASS isn’t working—can you just tap yours so I can get through?!” Maybe they say they’re late for work, picking up a kid, whatever sounds desperate enough. If you cave and tap your I-PASS or pay with a credit card, the barrier opens… for them.
You just paid their toll—and they speed off scot-free.
“I thought I was doing a good deed,” said Melissa G., a commuter from Oak Brook. “Then it happened to my friend too. That’s when I realized we were being played.”
Authorities say the scam is spreading at busy toll plazas like the Jane Addams I-90, the Tri-State I-294, and the Eisenhower I-290 ramps, especially during rush hour when tension is high and drivers are in a hurry.
IDOT hasn’t officially commented, but multiple reports have surfaced on neighborhood forums, Reddit, and Facebook groups. Some drivers are sharing dashcam footage of repeat offenders pulling the same trick at different toll booths.
So what can you do?
- Stay in your car. Don’t open your window or engage with the driver ahead.
- Do NOT tap your I-PASS or card for them. You could be on the hook for multiple charges.
- If safe, take a photo or dashcam screenshot of the vehicle and report it to Illinois Tollway customer service.
- Wait it out. Toll booth cameras will eventually flag the car as unpaid, and they’ll either get fined or forced to move.
This isn’t just rude behavior—it’s a scam, plain and simple. So next time someone tries to guilt you into paying their way through the toll, remember: if their I-PASS “just isn’t working,” it might be working exactly as planned.
