{"id":26587,"date":"2021-10-12T13:14:24","date_gmt":"2021-10-12T13:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rbsitsoftwaresolution.com\/blog\/spam-texts-arent-going-away-anytime-soon-6-ways-to-avoid-the-latest-schemes.html"},"modified":"2021-10-12T13:14:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-12T13:14:24","slug":"spam-texts-arent-going-away-anytime-soon-6-ways-to-avoid-the-latest-schemes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/spam-texts-arent-going-away-anytime-soon-6-ways-to-avoid-the-latest-schemes.html","title":{"rendered":"Spam texts aren’t going away anytime soon. 6 ways to avoid the latest schemes"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may have noticed more text messages from “ATT”\u00a0referring to a bill payment<\/a>, or\u00a0reimbursement<\/a>\u00a0or a\u00a0free perk<\/a>. “Chase” texts warn of accounts being\u00a0locked out<\/a>. “FedEx” alerts for an\u00a0incomplete delivery<\/a>. The messages may seem real, especially if you have service with the provider that seems to be messaging you. But before you click the link to get a “reward” for paying your bill, there are a few red flags to watch out for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the latest scheme, scammers are using trusted company names, links and urgency to steal your information after you click the link in a text message — which can lead to identity theft and fraud if you do. The messages are expected to continue, even though wireless carriers have submitted a plan to stop robocalls<\/span>\u00a0— that doesn’t include the workaround for spammers to send texts. In fact, we’re expected to up to 86 billion spam texts, according to\u00a0Robokiller’s August report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s scary to think about accidentally clicking the link or not giving the text a second thought. We’ll tell you what you can do now to help keep your personal data secure and what to watch out for if you get a spam text. Here’s the latest on the FCC’s plans to stop robocalls<\/span>, and how to use\u00a0Apple’s Hide My Email feature<\/span> to keep your email free of spam. This story was recently updated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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First, never open the link<\/h2>\n

Scammers are tricky. They’ll send messages that appear to be from a legitimate company, such as your wireless carrier, bank or medical facility, and include a link asking you to verify your account information. The link then takes you to a site that may look real, but is actually fake. The object is to collect your username, password and other personal information for future use.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

If you receive an unexpected message that includes a link, do not open it. If you happen to open it, do not enter any account details or personal information.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Look at this fake Verizon site that was being used in phishing attempts, as covered by How To Geek<\/a>. The site looks real and even redirects to the official Verizon site after the nefarious actors have taken your account credentials. Scary stuff.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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Don’t click on links in spam messages, and do some research before replying ‘stop.’<\/p>\n

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\t \tDo research before replying with STOP<\/h2>\n

One common method of opting out of receiving non-nefarious spam texts (like that restaurant offering the free milkshake) is to reply to the message with “STOP.” It can be a quick and easy way to end messages from everything from a political campaign to your internet service provider.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

But scammers use this same tool to trick you into replying to their messages, in turn letting them know that your phone number is valid and one they can target with more messages or robocalls.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Instead of quickly replying STOP to an unsolicited message, take a few seconds to look up the number online to see if a recognized organization or business uses it for text messages.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

I verified Comcast’s number, for example, by searching for “text from 266278” after receiving a message a few weeks ago asking if I wanted updates about an outage in my area. Indeed, the number I received the message from matched<\/a> a number Comcast lists on its support page.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

If you verify that a number is valid, reply with STOP to remove yourself from their distribution list.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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Report scam messages to your carrier.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\t \tReport a bad message to your carrier <\/h2>\n

If you can’t verify who sent a message, or it’s clearly a scam, you can forward the message to 7726 (it spells “spam” on a phone’s keypad).\u00a0 <\/p>\n

ATT<\/a>, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon all accept spam reports through this number. You may receive a follow-up message after reporting a message, asking for more information or to confirm the number the original message was sent from.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Some carriers, such as Sprint, will even block the number from messaging you after you’ve reported it.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\t \tUse your phone’s built-in blocking tool <\/h2>\n

Another option is to block the number yourself. Both iOS and Android have built-in tools to block messages and calls from specific numbers.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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You can always block the number.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n Screenshots by Jason Cipriani\/CNET
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\t \tiPhone users <\/h3>\n

On an iPhone<\/span>, open the message in the Messages app and tap on the profile photo at the top, then tap on the Info<\/strong> button. On the next screen, tap on the phone number<\/strong>, followed by Block this Caller<\/strong> at the bottom of the next screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Following those steps will block the number from both messaging and calling you.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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Google Messages will take extra steps to analyze and identify spam.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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iOS users can also filter out unknown senders to automatically sort through unknown numbers by toggling on the\u00a0Filter Unknown Senders\u00a0<\/strong>in your settings for\u00a0Messages<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t \tAndroid users <\/h3>\n

As is usually the case with Android phones, the process to block a number will vary depending on who makes your phone and which message app you’re using.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

If you’re using Google’s Messages app, start by opening the spam message, then tapping on the menu button in the top-right corner and selecting Details<\/strong> from the list of options. On the following screen, select Block report spam<\/strong> followed by OK<\/strong>. The Messages app will send the number and the 10 previous messages from it to Google for analysis to improve future spam detection. Your replies to the number are not sent to Google. If you’d rather just block the number, uncheck the box next to “Report spam” before tapping OK<\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Samsung Messages users will need to open the conversation, tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select Block number<\/strong> Block<\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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If you are routinely annoyed, file a report with the FCC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Download an app block spam messages\u00a0<\/h2>\n

There are a few apps that can limit spam text messages. TextKiller<\/a> is an app powered by Robokiller to automatically filter out messages that would be considered spam using Smart Blocking. The app now also works with Apple Watches to help filter spam messages. You can also add phone numbers and keywords that you want to block.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t \tFile an FCC complaint to help stop spam texts<\/h2>\n

If you want to help combat current and future spam messages, and you’re in the US, you can file a complaint with the\u00a0Federal Communications Commission<\/span>\u00a0whenever you receive a message that falls into one of these three categories:\u00a0 <\/p>\n