Get ready if you thought spam calls were irritating. The next annoyance to take over our phones is robotexts, spam text messages, offering gift cards, reduced credit card interest rates, debt relief programs, or other frauds. However, the aim remains the same: to take your money. Unfortunately, it is up to you to stop the flood of spam calls and robotexts. Understanding how telemarketers, hustlers, and other and other outfits get your cellphone number in the first place is the first step.
How do businesses obtain your mobile number?
Social networking sites sell your data
Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google keep track of your online behavior and resell it to advertisers. If you make your phone number public on social media, you can bet it’s in the databases of numerous marketing firms.
You dialed the number (800, 888, or 900)
An Automatic Number Identification (ANI) system collects your mobile number when you dial numbers with certain prefixes. The ANI system may match your number with other digital data connected with you in addition to identifying and keeping it.
You did it
There are a variety of reasons why you might provide your phone number to a company. You complete a sign-up form, enter a contest, or join up for an in-store rewards program. Whatever the reason, you knowingly give out your mobile phone number, allowing it to fall into the wrong hands.
You did not do it
Many telemarketing companies use automatic dialing systems that can find and contact any landline or mobile number, including ones that aren’t on the phone book.
How to block spam calls and texts?
Robotexts are widely used, and many people regard them as an unavoidable evil. They believe I have a smartphone and hence one of the drawbacks of having one is receiving unsolicited texts. No matter what you do, do not respond or click anything in the text. Fighting back may be done in a variety of ways, and doing so benefits everyone. The more we oppose robotexts, the less likely it is that they will succeed.
1. Tell them to stop
Many genuine organizations provide you the option of opting out of receiving their messages. However, be wary of scammers that use a similar tactic to get you to reply STOP to their messages, which can assist validate you and your phone number. A short Google search will generally reveal whether or not a textable number is authentic.
2. Block the numbers
It’s simple to block numbers. However, exact steps may differ depending on your mobile device’s brand, model, and operating system. Also, keep in mind that the same operation may attempt to text you using a different phone number.
Open the text from the number you want to block on your iPhone and press on the sender’s number. Select the information I icon. Select Block this Caller and Block Contact from the Details page by clicking on the phone number.
On an Android, open your phone app and select Settings from the three-dot symbol in the top right corner. Block numbers should be tapped. There are numerous possibilities available, including unknown callers, recent calls, or from your contact list. Choose or manually insert a number you wish to block.
3. Become a snitch
In the fight against robotexts and spam communications, reporting a robotext or spam message to your cellular provider is a fantastic first step. Free of charge, copy and transmit the original content to 7726 (SPAM). If you have a Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Bell phone, you can utilize this approach.
4. Submit a formal complaint
Sending unsolicited commercial email messages to wireless devices without your agreement is unlawful, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This legislation covers text messages sent to your cellphone, as well as sending unwanted SMS via an auto-dialer.
Transactional or relationship messages, as well as non-commercial messages such as political surveys or fundraising messages, are the sole exceptions to this rule. If you get unwanted promotional text messages, use the FTC complaint assistance to register a complaint.
5. Make use of your phone’s hidden setting.
This location isn’t exactly hidden. It’s so esoteric that you’ve probably never considered it. By screening spam on your mobile device, you may help to eliminate spam messages and robotexts.
On an iPhone, removing spam is straightforward. Go to Settings and then choose Messages from the drop-down menu. Toggle the setting on for Filter Unknown Senders by scrolling down.
Also, if you’re an Android user, open your phone app and select Settings from the three-dot menu. Enable Caller ID and then Spam under Settings.
6. Third-party programs
There are also numerous third-party programs available to assist you in combating scammers. Nomorobo and RoboKiller, two popular applications, are both available for iOS and Android. Although each needs a monthly membership, they are effective at preventing and filtering suspicious spam calls and spam messages.
Hopefully, we will be able to put an end to robotexts much more quickly than we were able to do with robocalls.