This article is for those who think that spam texts are annoying and they are tired of them. These texts promise to offer various things like debt reliefs, free gifts, and low-interest rates on cards. However, the goal of all these messages is the same, which is to fraud you and rob your money. But, the good part about it is that there are many things you can do to stop these texts. However, for that, you need to understand how telemarketing companies and other people get your phone number in the first place. So, here is the question.
How do these companies get your cell number in the first place?
- Much to your surprise, social media sites sell data to companies, including your phone number and other things. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter track what you do online and provide the data to advertisers and marketers. So, if your phone number is publicly present on your social media handle, you can assume that it is also present in the databases of various marketing organizations.
- The ANI system collects your number if you call an 800, 888, or 900 number. The ANI is the Automatic Number Identification system. Not only does it identify and store your number, but it also matches it with other digital information that relates to you.
- Finally, you might have given your cell number to companies, knowingly or unknowingly. When you fill a registration form online, or you fill out a form for participating in a contest, or enroll for any similar thing online, you hand over your number to the organization. These things let your number fall into the hands of the wrong people.
How to block spam texts and calls?
Automated calls and spam messages are pretty common these days. It is like a necessary evil for many people. For instance, if you have a mobile phone, receiving such calls and messages is one of the many sacrifices that you have to make. Irrespective of what you do, remember that you should never respond or even click on any links in the text. So, the more we resist these things, the less they will succeed.
You need to tell them to stop with it.
Many organizations give you the option to stop receiving messages from them. But, you also need to be careful because certain scamsters use the same method to verify your number. They will ask you to reply 'STOP' to their messages to stop their messages, but it will only benefit them.
Block them
Blocking numbers is an easy task. But, you also need to remember that these companies might try to text you from a different number. If you are an iPhone user, open the spam text and tap on the (i) icon. You will be able to click on the sender's number under the Details screen. Then, you can choose to block the contact.
If you are an Android user, open the phone app and tap on the three-dot icon in the upper right-hand corner. Choose the Settings and tap on Block the Number. There will be many options, from blocking unknown callers to recent callers to anybody in your caller list. You can choose that or manually enter the number for blocking.
Report
It is best to be a tattletale in such a situation. Thus, reporting these spam texts and calls is a great way to fight against them. All you need to do is forward the text to 7726. It is a free method that applies to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Bell, and T-Mobile users.
Lodge an official complaint
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that sending such messages without asking for your consent is illegal. It includes sending SMS to your cell. It is also illegal to send unwanted messages from an automatic dialer. However, you must remember that transactional and non-commercial messages like political texts, relationship messages, and fundraising messages are an exception. But, if you receive commercial text messages that you do not want, you can complain with the FTC complaint assistant.
Secret phone settings
It is not really a secret, but it is something most people don't think about. You can get rid of spam texts by filtering the spam from your phone. For iPhone users, you need to go to your Settings, tap on Messages, go to Filter Unknown Senders, and switch it on.
For Android users, open the phone app, tap on the three-dot icon on the upper right-hand corner and choose Settings. Enable Caller ID and Spam under settings to filter spam.
Get more help
There are various third-party apps and tools which will help you against these texts. These apps are available for both Android and iOS. These apps might cost you a subscription, but they are highly efficient at filtering and blocking spam.
Avosmart
Avosmart is a parental control tool that has various features that ensure online safety. It is software that will protect you from fraudsters and spam websites. You can check SMS, contacts, block websites, apps, and even YouTube channels. Furthermore, you can put a time limit on apps for reducing screen time and even get live notification updates.