If you live in Illinois and are shopping for gifts online for a birthday, graduation, or even a wedding, be cautious with which websites you're giving your card information to.

There have more scams circulating Illinois than ever before and it has a lot to do with how advanced our technology is nowadays.

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With anybody having access to the internet this day in age, it's hard to know what websites are real or fake anymore.  Scammers love taking advantage on the weak, especially if they can do it online where they're anonymous behind a screen.

If You Live In Illinois, Your Card Information Might Be In Jeopardy

With so many celebrations happening in the summer time; graduations, birthdays, Father's Day... it's prime time for scammers to capitalize on online shoppers.

So many consumers have take their shopping online to avoid long lines, beat traffic, and shop from the convenience of their comfy couch.  That means your card information is attached to tons of apps making it easier for scammers to attack.

Illinois is 1 of 5 states being targeted by a major online phishing scam

This scam is a huge reason why I disconnect my card information from websites and apps as soon as I'm done purchasing something.  Better safe than sorry!

"scammers often create fake websites that are so similar to the sites of popular retailers, it easily tricks consumers into providing payment information. The scammers take your information and your money, but you never receive the products." [consumeraffairs]

Scammers love making "dupe" websites that look identical to popular retailers sites so they can steal your card information when you go to place your online order.

When shopping online, make sure to check and see if the website has reviews, is credible, and it's the verified website you're actually wanting to shop at.

To take it a step further,

"scammers may contact people on social media and promise a gift card for participation. In return, victims must provide a lot of personal information, in addition to their opinions about Walmart. And of course, there is no gift card." [consumeraffairs]

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If you live in Michigan, Colorado, California, Illinois, or Arizona, be alert!

There are tons of other scams to look out for in Illinois right now.  Here's where you can find all of them: Scams Hitting Illinois Residents.