Tech experts at "True Caller" say that in one recent month, more than 80 million spam calls hit Illinois residents, and more than four million spam texts flooded phones.
Nationwide, Americans are getting hit with 2.8 billion spam calls a month, averaging about eight spam calls per person.
Scammers often pose as government employees or say they can offer student loan assistance.
Ignore calls from unknown numbers and listen to the voicemail.
Never click links or reply to unknown numbers on text, even if they claim urgency or government aid.
Legit agencies don't ask for personal info that way.
Use your phone's "report junk" feature and file complaints with the federal trade commission.