The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and the Illinois Secretary of State DMV are aware of text and email messages being sent fraudulently on their behalf, asking for personal information.  

While the messages might look official, a government agency will never request personal information, such as Social Security numbers or banking information, via text or email. If you receive such a message, delete it. Do not provide any information or click any links. Doing so could install malware on your device or computer.

To protect your personal information, take the following precautions:  

• *Delete unsolicited emails and texts requesting personal information or promising state driver’s licenses or IDs. Do not click on any links contained in such emails or texts, as they may place malware on your computer or devices.

*Hang up on any calls, including robocalls, that ask you to take immediate action or provide personally identifiable information. Consider blocking the number.

*Ask to use other types of identifiers besides your Social Security number.

*Keep your software up to date, including operating systems and antivirus protection programs on your computer, phone and other devices. Most can be set to update automatically.

If you have questions about phishing scams or identity theft, please call the Illinois Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Hotline in Chicago at 800-386-5438 (TTY: 800-964-3013). Spanish speakers may call 866-310-8398. 

For more information about how to avoid phishing scams, visit the FTC website. 

There is a difference between Consumer Reports online and the print version. 

Online: 

• It is easier to find updated information on what you are searching for  
• There is information you can get online that can’t be accessed in the print version. 

For example, let’s say you are looking at dishwashers. Online, the buyer’s guide is more detailed, and it offers a video demonstration of different dishwashers that the print version could not show you. The ratings and recommended models are there just like in the print version. You can see the predicted reliability of different models of dishwashers, but the online version does not have the owner satisfaction results, which can be a better indicator of the brand’s reliability you are considering.  

• To access Consumer Reports Online, follow these steps: 
• Start at www.mppl.org 
• 
• Click on the Research page: https://mppl.org/research/ 
• Then click on Web Resources: https://mppl.org/research/web-resources/ 
• You will need a Mount Prospect Library card number and pin to log in and use our web resources. 
• Scroll down the page to Consumer Reports (Our web resources are in alphabetical order: 
• Print: 
• We have copies going back 5 years and they can be checked out. 
• The print version does have the owner satisfaction results.  
• It really comes down to your preference for how you want to access the information.
• Staff at the Research Services desk are available to help you access both the online and print versions.