How to stop spam ? 

(SMS – Spam Text Messages)  

Spam texts are marketing text messages (also known as SMS) sent to you without your consent. 

What is spam text? 

Receiving text messages from unknown numbers is upsetting. Unsolicited and unwanted  messages are referred to as spam. Spam SMS are seldom sent from another phone. They  often originate on a computer and are delivered to your phone via email or instant messaging.  Scammers can transmit them cheaply and easily since they are sent through the internet. The  communications usually pretend to be from the user’s cellphone provider and include a link to  a “free gift,” as well as a reference to the recipient’s wireless bill. 

The majority of spam text messages do not originate from another phone. They’re frequently  sent from a computer and sent to your phone at no cost to the sender – usually via email or  instant messaging. Spam sent/received through email is sent/received via the Internet, but  spam delivered via SMS is often sent over a mobile network. 

Spam also includes: 

• unlawful manipulation of transmission data 

• the installation of computer programmes without authorization, according to the legal  definition. 

What are robotexts? 

Robotexts are a sort of spam text; however, because they are simpler to ignore than robocalls,  they are less intrusive. Even still, hearing the sound of an incoming text message and  checking your phone only to find spam is frustrating. These SMS put you at danger of  identity theft and raise the chances of you installing malware onto your phone by  unintentionally.

How to stop spam texts? 

When it comes to mobile phone spam, the aim is to halt the spam SMS. It turns out there’s a  simple and easy way to accomplish it, as well as a couple of somewhat more complex but still  successful alternatives. 

1. Tell them to stop sending you communications: Many respectable firms allow you  to opt out of getting texts from them. However, be cautious: Scammers use the similar  tactic to get you to reply STOP to their messages, which might assist validate your  identity and phone number. 

2. Directly reacting to a spam text message informs a spammer that your phone  number is legitimate. They may sell your phone number to other spammers, who may  contact you with offers of free gifts or product discounts. 

3. Blocking Numbers: Blocking numbers is simple, however exact instructions may  differ depending on the brand, model, and operating system of your mobile device.  Remember that fraudsters may attempt texting you from what seems to be a new  number each time – spoofing numbers – making the manual banning procedure more  difficult. 

4. Use Spam Filters on Your Mobile Device: Using spam filters on your mobile  device will decrease spam messages and robotexts. 

5. Use paid Text Blocking application: 

• RoboKiller, a free iPhone and Android software, can drastically minimise the  amount of spam you receive in the form of phone calls and text messages. • Blacklist for Calls and Text Messages: It allows you to block calls and text  messages from both unknown and private numbers. You may also get rid of  the annoyances by entirely disabling call alerts. 

• Messages app: A popular and award-winning spam message blocker for  Android is the AI-driven Key Messages app, which can automatically reject  spam messages from unknown senders. The Key Communications App may  block messages and backup your data to your Google Drive account based on  the categories you choose. 

• Call Control: Another option is to use Call Control, a full-featured call and  SMS blocker programme that can detect and block both spam calls and text  messages automatically. 

6. Inform your wireless provider about spam texts: Send any questionable or spam  texts to the number 7726, which stands for SPAM, so your carrier can look into it.  The text messages sent to 7726 are free and do not count towards your text plan. 

7. Keep Your Information Safe: Treat your personal information, such as phone  numbers, as though it were your most important asset. Don’t give out your phone  number to strangers. 

8. File a formal complaint: It is against the law to transmit unsolicited commercial  email messages to wireless devices without your permission, according to the Federal  Trade Commission (FTC). This rule covers text messages sent to your mobile phone,  as well as sending unsolicited SMS through an auto-dialer. 

9. Make use of your phone’s hidden setting: This isn’t truly a secret setting. It’s so  esoteric that you’ve probably never considered it. By blocking spam on your mobile  device, you may help to eliminate spam messages and robotexts.

Tips on how to block spam texts in general 

• Don’t reply to unsolicited or questionable texts. 

• Inform Verizon about spammers. 

• Use apps like Call Filter to filter probable spam texts. 

• Use your My Verizon account to block particular spammers. 

 How to block spam texts on Android? 

Step 1:  

Find the text you wish to block in your messaging app. Then, in the top-right corner  of the screen, press the three-dot icon. 

 Step 2: 

 Then confirm by tapping the Block number option (or selecting Block contact).  How to block spam texts on iPhone 

1. Go to the spam text message and open it. 

2. Tap the sender’s name, then the Information icon at the top of the screen. 3. At the bottom of the screen, choose Block this Caller. 

 How to filter spam texts so they don’t reach you 

 Filter text messages on an iPhone: 

Step 1: 

 Go to the Settings app and tap Messages.

Step 2: 

 Scroll down until you see the Unknown Senders Filter. 

Step 3:  

Swipe the button to the right to turn it on. All messages from numbers that aren’t in your  contact list will be routed to the Unknown Senders page in the Filters section. 

 Filter text messages on an Android: 

Step 1:  

Tap the three dots symbol in the top right-hand corner of the screen in the Messaging app. Step 2:  

Select Settings –> Spam Protection from the drop-down menu. 

Step 3: 

Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see Enable Spam Protection. 

Step 4: 

Swipe the button to the right to turn it on.  

 How to recognize spam texts when you see them 

There are a few relatable signs: 

1. The first is the presence of the company’s name in the text. 

2. Take a look at the hyperlink. Is the company’s name in the link. 

Botnets send a lot of spam, making it difficult to track down the source. Botnets are malware infected and malware-controlled groups of internet-connected devices. PCs, servers, mobile  devices, and Internet-of-things devices are all examples. 

 Why am I getting spam text messages? 

 How to Block SMS and Text Spam with AT&T Messaging 

We get spam text messages because they are effective. The read-rate of SMS marketing  messages is astonishingly high, at 97 percent. That’s ROI gold to a marketer. However, you 

may receive spam texts as a result of your phone number being disclosed online – commonly  on Facebook, a website, or in an online form. 

Step 1: 

At mymessages.wireless.att.com, you may create a My Messaging account with AT&T  Wireless. By default, you will not have a login for this page. You must first click Register  Now and create a password. When you’re finished, AT&T will SMS you a registration code. 

Step 2: 

After you’ve registered and entered your registration code at mymessages.wireless.att.com,  log in. 

Step 3: 

The next step is to choose from a variety of blocking options. 

Check Block all text communications sent to you by email, as well as any multimedia  messages. Alternatively, you may choose Block from the Mobile number control drop-down  option to get the same result. The most secure technique for eliminating email-based text  spam is to block all email text and MMS communications. These settings will aid in the  reduction of spam text messages by preventing one of the methods used by spammers to  contact you. 

Spam Text Example- 

• You’ve won a reward, a gift card, or a voucher that you need to use. 

• You’ve been offered a credit card with a low or no interest rate. 

The scammers may 

• claim that there is a problem with your payment information • give you a false invoice and  instruct you to contact them if you did not authorise the transaction • send you a phoney  parcel delivery notification 

To claim your gift or pursue the offer, you may be asked to provide personal information  such as how much money you make, how much you owe, or your bank account, credit card,  or Social Security number. 

Spam texts are more than an irritation. They can raise your phone bill, and they provide a  handy backdoor for hackers to get personal information and gain access to your accounts. 

Start by screening SMS messages from unknown senders to protect yourself against spam  texts. You may also use applications to stop spam messages, and you should consider  registering your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry.