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Spam Text Messages – How to Block Text Spam Messages

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Spam Text Messages

Spam Text Messages – How to Recognize and Stop Spam Text Messages

Spam texts are a type of spam, or unwanted communication, sent via SMS text message to a recipient’s phone. SPAM is any type of unwanted or unsolicited communication sent individually or en masse via text messages, spam emails, robocalls, or chats. Spam texts may deliver unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate messages. The spam texts are often malicious in nature and try to trick the recipient into clicking on a link or to respond with personal information

Scammers send spam texts to fool recipients into visiting malicious websites or divulging personal information.

When a spammer gets your email address, name, username, password, or account number, they could gain access to your email, bank or other online accounts. Often people reuse the same password across multiple online accounts. If a hacker gains access to something low-level like a social media account taken off and use it to hack into your email and reset the passwords and more valuable accounts like your bank or credit cards. Read our post on how the most common hacked passwords

Hackers also send spam texts to collect personal data to sell on the dark web.

This Post Covers

  1. Spam Text Message Example
  2. Can You Get Hacked by Responding to a Spam Text?
  3. What Are Spam Text Messages?
  4. Why Do I Get Spam Texts?
  5. How to Block Spam Texts
  6. Block Spam Texts iPhone
  7. Block Spam Texts Android
  8. What to Do About Spam Text Messages

Spam Text Message Example

Scammers who send spam texts use a variety of messages to trick recipients into taking action. Often the spam text messages prompt the recipient to reply to a text message or click on a link. In the case of a spam text message, replying to the message even to opt-out of future texts, only confirms to the spammer that the phone number is valid and monitored. Clicking on a malicious link in a spam text message may begin a malware download or infect the phone with spyware.

Spam Text Messaging Signal
Spam Text Messaging Signal

Spam Texts May Include Messaging That

  1. Offers gift cards like our example spam text (Image 1)
  2. Promises prizes or cash for participating in the survey
  3. May I offer things a recipient is otherwise not eligible for like a large alone or credit card

When it comes to spam text messages the old adage is real, “If an offer sounds too good to be true it probably is.”

What Are Spam Text Messages?

Spam texts are a type of unwanted or unsolicited communication, just like spam emails, sent to large numbers of phones. They may send an offer, advertisement, or other messaging. But often spam texts are designed to trick the recipient into giving up personal information, credit card numbers, or login credentials to online accounts.

If you receive a spam text, it may be a violation of the law. According to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), it is unlawful to send unsolicited commercial messages to wireless devices unless the recipient agreed to receive the messages from a sender. Sender must get permission first.

RELATED READ: How to Get Started With Encrypted Messaging Apps

Can You Get Hacked by Responding to a Spam Text?

Spam texts often sent by a scammer to verify that the phone number is active and monitored. In this scenario, if you follow the instructions and reply with STOP to opt out of future text messages, you may very well have the opposite effect. Scammers may send a text message periodically to test phone numbers for future campaigns. The spam texts contain instructions on how to opt-out of future texts, but following the instructions only confirms to the hacker that the phone number is valid. Replying with STOP often results in an increase in future text messages.

  1. Spam texts are often designed to steal personal information and can cause finacial ruin. Text scams are cleverly disguised as promotions, credit offers, and limited time offers and try to get you to reveal personal information. To receive these offers, you must provide information such as your credit card and date of birth
  2. Clicking on a link in a spam text may send you to a malicious website that downloads malware or spyware to your phone. If you engage with a spam text message and don’t have an antivirus app installed your phone could be taken over by ransomware spyware or other malware.
  3. If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, spam text messages may result in additional charges on your monthly wireless carrier bill. That’s one reason why businesses are required to ask you to opt-in to text message notifications and caution you that data charges may result.

Why Do I Get Spam Texts?

People often get spam texts and spam emails because they give away their personal information too easily . Oftentimes, contests and loyalty rewards programs are a way to collect phone numbers and email addresses that are sold to marketers and other businesses. If you are receiving a lot of spam texts:

  1. Check your social media accounts for publicly visible personal information like phone numbers or email addresses
  2. Stop Signing up for Contests and promotions. If a business or social media account asks that you give away your phone number or email address to enter a contest it’s most likely so they can spam you with future promotional messaging
  3. Don’t give your contact Information away. Including business cards, to just anybody at trade shows or other business events
  4. Don’t participate in online surveys
  5. Don’t give your phone number to retailers to send you promos, coupons, in store receipts or to join loyalty programs

How to Block Spam Texts

Legitimate companies offer subscribers the chance to opt out of receiving SMS text messages from them. First, if the company is legitimate you must have opted into receiving texts for this to occur. Scammers use this tactic to confirm phone numbers.

File a Complaint with the Feds

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it is not legal to send unsolicited commercial text messages to wireless devices without the owner’s consent. This act includes text messages to your cell phone. The only exceptions to this law are transactional messages, or non-commercial messages such as political surveys or fundraising messages.

What to Do About Spam Text Messages

Do place your cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. Visit the Do Not Call Registry to add your phone number to the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry The FTC Do Not Call list lets you opt out of robocalls and spam texts, but this really only going to help you with legitimate businesses that respect the registry and the law.. Scammers and hackers are most likely going to ignore the law and send you text messages anyway.

  1. Do not reply to a spam text message
  2. Do not send a new message to the spam phone numbers
  3. Don’t click on any links in the text message
  4. Don’t reply with “STOP” or follow any other instructions to supposedly opt out of future SMS messages

Report Spam Text Messages to Your Wireless Carrier

If you receive spam texts, it’s pretty easy to report the messages to your wireless carrier. The phone number is the same no matter who your wireless carrier is.

Report spam text messages to AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or T-Mobile by forwarding the suspected spam text to 7726 (SPAM) from your phone. Your wireless carrier will reply with a text asking for the phone number of the spam text.

READ: Scam Likely – What Does Likely Scam Mean on My Phone?

Block Spam Texts iPhone

  1. Unlock the iPhone that is receiving spam texts are robocalls
  2. Open the text from the number you want to block
  3. Tap the info (i) icon
  4. From the Details screen, scroll down
  5. Select Block this Caller

Block Spam Texts Android

  1. Unlock your Android phone
  2. Open your phone app
  3. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner Choose Settings
  4. Tap Block numbers
  5. Choose a Phone number from the list of recent calls
  6. Alternatively, tap the People Icon to choose a contact or group to block

Unlock your Android phone

  1. Open your phone app
  2. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner Choose Settings
  3. Tap Block numbers
  4. Choose a Phone number from the list of recent calls
  5. Alternatively, tap the People Icon to choose a contact or group to block

You will find several options including unknown callers, recent call, or from your contact list. Select the phone number you want to block. If you know a phone number that you want to proactively block, you can choose to type it in from this screen.

How to Report Spam Text Messages to the FTC

If you receive a spam text or marketing call 31 days after your number was added to the National Do Not Call Registry, report it to the FTC.

Max is a Data Privacy Coordinator at a major global law firm and a science fiction author residing in the Philadelphia area. He has been writing for https://www.askcybersecurity.com since early 2017.