Spam texts are a growing problem, with billions of them sent every day. Americans received 225 billion spam texts in 2022, a 157% increase year-over-year. There are almost 300,000 spam texts sent per minute. Spam texts can be annoying, but they can also be dangerous. Receiving texts from unknown numbers is upsetting, to say the least. Spam, on the other hand, isn’t only irritating; it may also be a deadly problem as they want to steal your identity and even money as well. However, you can fight back. With this instruction, you’ll learn how to eliminate spam text messages and other scam messages.
Why am I Getting Spam Text Messages?
Spam text messages are unsolicited or unwanted communications sent in bulk via the internet or electronic messaging services. They often come from unknown numbers or as robotexts sent by auto-dialers, and often promote a product or service. They can be a nuisance and can sometimes even be dangerous, as they can contain links to phishing websites or malware.
So why are you getting spam text messages? Because spammers can obtain your cell phone number in a variety of methods in order to send SMS spam and commercial texts:
- Public Directories or Social Media: Your phone number may be listed in public directories or social media profiles, making it easy for spammers to find and collect.
- Data breaches: Spammers can also obtain your phone number through data breaches of companies or websites that have your information.
- Signing Up for Services or Promotions: By providing your phone number when signing up for services or promotions, spammers can obtain your number through companies or organizations that may then sell or share your information.
- Phishing Scams: Spammers can trick you into providing your phone number through phishing scams, where they pose as a legitimate company or organization and ask for your personal information.
- Bots and Crawlers: Spammers can also use bots and crawlers to scan the internet for phone numbers listed on websites, forums, and social media platforms.
- Sharing your phone number online: When individuals provide their phone numbers online, whether it be for filling out forms, entering sweepstakes, or joining loyalty programs, they may not realize the potential risks associated with it. Unfortunately, there is always a possibility that the personal information shared, such as a phone number, may end up in the hands of those who should not have access to it.
- Responding to Spam Messages: You may have responded to a spam message in the past, which could have confirmed to the spammer that your number is active and therefore a good target for further spam.
Is it Safe to Open a Spam Text Message?
It is not safe to open a spam text message. Spam text messages can contain links to malicious websites, malware, or phishing scams. If you open a spam text message, you could be putting your personal information and device at risk.
Criminals use a variety of methods to induce individuals to download malware, including text messages. Opening and reading an SMS text message is unlikely to infect your phone, but if you download an infected file or follow a link to a hacked website, you could obtain a virus or malware. Scammers are aware of this and use text messages or SMS to send “phishing” scams to victims (short message service). When scammers use fraudulent text messages to entice consumers into supplying personal or financial information, this is known as text message or SMS phishing. In fact, not all spam text messages are insecure. but even spam text that is not fraudulent can waste your time, have the risk of private data leaks, or cost you money you shouldn’t spend, such as overspending and buying things you don’t need.
How to Stop Spam Text Messages on iPhone
Every iPhone user has experienced it: you’re swamped with spam texts and can’t tolerate it any longer. For quite some time, it has been an ongoing and aggravating issue. It’s just grown worse recently for certain people. What makes the problem even more aggravating is that spammers have gotten smarter and more sophisticated over time.
So, how to block a number from texting on iPhone? Filtering away messages from unknown senders is one way to limit iPhone spam texts. Texts from numbers that aren’t on your contact list will be routed to a separate folder if you choose this option.
Follow the steps below to activate this toggle:
- Navigate to “Messages” in the Settings app.
- Toggle the “Filter Unknown Senders” switch on.
In addition, another choice is to block specific senders, which will prevent spam texts from that number from sending you spam in the future. Here is how to operate:
- To block a message from a certain sender, tap on it.
- Then, at the top of the message, press on the phone number.
- “Info” should be tapped.
- Tap “Block this caller” at the bottom of the options list. Then select “Block Contact” from the drop-down menu.
How to Stop Spam Text Messages on Android
Since you have known how to stop spam text messages on your iPhone, let’s learn about how to stop spam text messages on Android. The phone you’re using determines whether or not you can block spam SMS on Android. Some gadgets have more spam filtering and blocking settings than others. There are four ways to block spam text messages on your Android phone:
- Block individual phone numbers
- Report a spammer.
- Filter out spam messages
- Filter out spammers via mobile carriers
For instance, you can simply stop spam texts and block unwanted texts on Samsung by the following instructions:
- Open the Message app and choose the message you don’t want to receive.
- Click “OK” after selecting the Block number.
Tips to Protect Yourself from Spam Texts
All in all, there are also some other tips to protect yourself from spam texts:
Only give out your cell phone number if it’s really necessary.
Online forms frequently ask for phone numbers, but keep in mind that the information you provide could end up on marketing lists or databases. To help decrease the number of unwanted messages and calls, don’t give out your phone number unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Do not make your cell phone number available to the public.
For example, don’t put your mobile phone number on your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media pages.
Try to use a third-party blocking app.
RealCall is a free call blocking program that uses a large database of profiles and “advanced algorithms” to analyze calls and provide context to unknown numbers. Every Realcall user adds a layer of security and strengthens the defense against scammers, all while enjoying peace and security. So it is also a good way to block spam text messages by blocking the number.
Bottom Line
- Spam texts not only clog your inbox and distract you with bogus notifications, but if your cellular plan does not include unlimited messaging, you may be paying for rubbish. Therefore, it is wise to learn how to stop spam text messages on your smartphone, whether the iPhone or Android.
- In addition to the ways of how to stop spam messages on your smartphone, there are some other tips to help you fight against these annoying messages, such as giving your phone number only if it is necessary and using a blocking app like RealCall.