Don’t call the number sent in the text message. When in doubt, look up the company phone number, call them, and verify if a legitimate request was made. Most legitimate companies do not request personal information like passwords, account details, and other personal details via text messages. Spam text messages may lure you into disclosing personal information like how much money you make, how much you owe the bank, your Social Security number, and credit card details. Do treat your personal information like it’s cash
What happens next? They can sell your phone number to other spammers who might bombard you with promises of free gifts and product offers. Don’t reply directly to any spam text messageĭirectly replying to a spam text message lets a spammer know that your number is genuine.
Read through this guide to learn the do’s and don’ts of dealing with spam texts and how to stop spam texts for good.ġ. You can reduce unwanted text messages and help prevent them from showing up on your phone and other mobile devices. It’s illegal to send unsolicited, or spam, commercial text messages to a wireless device unless the sender gets your permission, according to the Federal Trade Commission.ĭon’t despair. They’re often originating from a computer and being delivered to your phone - at no cost to the sender - via an email address or an instant messaging account.īesides being painfully annoying, spam texts pose the risk of exposing you to identity theft, installing malware on your device, and accessing your personal information. Most spam text messages aren’t coming from another phone. Whoever is sending you a spam text message is likely trying to defraud you. That’s aggravating enough, but it gets worse. They show up as unwanted and unexpected text messages on our phone screens. Once your mobile phone number is registered on the Do Not Call Registry, you can file a complaint about any unwanted text message you receive by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or filing a complaint at about as welcome as robot calls and junk mail - spam text messages. Place your mobile phone number on the Do Not Call Registry by visiting or calling 1-88 from the number you wish to register.
By the time the wireless provider detects the abusive text use and disables the pre-paid phone, the spammer has already acquired a different phone in order to continue the process. Via special software, the spammer sends text messages to thousands of cell phone numbers.
The spammer anonymously purchases a pre-paid wireless phone with unlimited texting and then connects the phone to a computer. Your wireless provider can attempt to block spam email from entering its Internet gateway, but it is impossible to stop all of it. For example, if your cell number is 12 and your provider is AT&T, then your phone’s email address is Spammers can email advertising messages randomly to any cell phone number or they can target a certain geographic area by using a specific area code. Each cell phone has a unique email address. Spam text messages can be sent to your wireless phone in three ways: Text messages have become a popular way for people to communicate. Unfortunately, spammers are now taking advantage of this communication tool as well.