According to data from Robokiller, for most of 2023, people in Illinois received more than 1.6 billion robocalls and 13.2 billion robo texts.
So what can you do to keep that information safe?
Try to avoid sharing your phone number at any checkout or on any online form if you don't have to.
Carefully read the terms of service and privacy policies. Those policies can alert you to any potential misuse of your data and how its shared.
Watch out for robotexts with misspelled words and never click on links from unknown texts.
Send unknown numbers to voicemail, especially at odd hours as those are more likely to be scams.
More info: FTC Releases Annual Do Not Call Registry Data Book Showing Consumer Complaints Continued to Decrease in Fiscal Year 2023 | Federal Trade Commission