Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is alerting motorists across the state to a surge in scam texts and phone calls impersonating the Secretary of State’s office, in an effort to steal money and sensitive personal information. This week, scammers have introduced new tactics, sending text messages and making phone calls that falsely claim to be from the Secretary of State’s office. The fraudulent messages allege that Illinois residents are behind on toll payments and threaten penalties ranging from fines and suspension of driving privileges to vehicle registration blocks and legal action.

In response, Secretary Giannoulias has launched a statewide consumer protection campaign, “Don’t Click. It’s a Trick,” to warn Illinoisans not to click on suspicious links. He emphasized that the Secretary of State’s office and the DMV never send texts requesting payment or threatening penalties.

“Scammers are using every tool they can—texts, phone calls, and fake websites—to pressure people into handing over money and personal information,” Giannoulias said. “They want to create fear, confusion, and urgency so Illinoisans act before they think. Don’t fall for it. If you get a text or call claiming to be from the DMV and demanding payment or threatening consequences, it’s a scam.”

To help combat the fraud, Giannoulias’ office has set up a dedicated email address—scamalert@ilsos.gov—for reporting scam texts. Residents are encouraged to take a screenshot of the suspicious message and send it to the Secretary of State’s office, which is working with law enforcement to identify and shut down scammer websites.

What To Do If You Receive a Suspicious Text:

Never click links in unsolicited DMV texts.

Never send money or personal information.

Report the message to scamalert@ilsos.gov.

Delete the message immediately.

The Secretary of State’s office reminds residents that it only sends text message reminders for scheduled DMV appointments. It does not send texts or make calls about driver’s license status, vehicle registration issues, or enforcement actions.

• Veteran forward Monique Billings is signing a multi-year deal with the Indiana Fever.
• She has recently played alongside future teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark in other leagues.
• Billings has fully recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined her for part of the 2025 season.

Monique Billings is coming to the Indiana Fever on a multi-year deal, sources confirmed to IndyStar on Saturday.

Billings, an eight-year veteran forward, played with the Golden State Valkyries in 2025 after she was selected as the lone unrestricted free agent in the 2024 expansion draft. She played 26 games with eight starts in 2025, averaging 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

She missed part of the Valkyries’ season with an ankle injury, missing all of August while she recovered. She has since fully recovered, playing in the final month of the WNBA season and participating in Unrivaled and the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in early 2026. Billings has recent history with some of Indiana’s core players, too: she played with Kelsey Mitchell on Hive BC in Unrivaled, then with Caitlin Clark at the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico in March.

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This story will be updated.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar’s YouTube channel for Fever Insiders Live.

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is going to look a lot different during the 2026-27 season than it did at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Gone are the five seniors who were on the roster: Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder. Cade Kelderman, a junior guard, entered his name into the transfer portal along with Mason Williams.

Milan Momcilovic currently has his name in the 2026 NBA Draft, putting his future up in the air for a few more weeks. However, head coach T.J. Otzelberger can rest a little easier knowing some of his core rotation is coming back. Included in that group now is Killyan Toure.

As shared by François Nyam via Jonathan Givony of Draft Express on X, the talented guard will be returning to Ames for his sophomore season.

Will Killyan Toure return to Iowa State for sophomore season?

Toure was a surprise member of the starting five for the duration of his freshman season with the Cyclones. Many people predicted that spot would go to Jamarion Batemon, the highest-rated recruit the program landed in the Class of 2025, but it was Toure who earned the trust of the coaching staff.

It was easy to see why this was the case early on. He was a ready-made high-level defender right out of the gate. His tenacious effort on that end of the court enabled Iowa State to deploy Lipsey in a more rovering role at times, playing the passing lanes and creating turnovers.

The senior was very impressed with what Toure brought to the court, giving him a ton of praise for his efforts on the defensive end.

A high-floor player because of his ability on defense, the Frenchman could truly breakout as a sophomore if he can find a rhythm offensively. His confidence seemed to wane during the season, as he hit the proverbial freshman wall.

Toure shot only 38.7% from the field overall during Big 12 play and 23.8% from 3-point range, leading to his minutes being scaled back slightly as Otzelberger sought more offense for the lineup.

However, that confidence on offense did start to come back during the Big 12 tournament and in the NCAA tournament.

Over the final four games of his freshman campaign, Toure averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. He shot an impressive 55% from the field and 50% from 3-point range, knocking down 5-of-10 attempts.

Securing his return is a big win for Iowa State basketball. He has an incredibly high ceiling and is built to take the torch from Lipsey as the tone setter on the court.