Receiving text message spam on your cell phone is akin to opening email spam on your computer. The goal of both is to make you disclose personal data.
Text message spam affects you in three ways: Promising free gifts or special product offers, the text tries to gather information about you; the performance of your phone can be greatly reduced; and unwanted charges appear on your mobile bill.
The Triple Threat of Text Message Spam
- It uncovers your personal data through the promise of product offers or free gifts. Some examples are gift cards, computers, low interest rate credit cards, inexpensive mortgages or debt relief programs. In order to claim your offer or gift, they often request personal data such as your income, outstanding debts, credit card numbers, bank account information or your Social Security number. If you click on a link in the text, be prepared for malware to be installed on your phone to gather your information. After a spammer collects your data, it is sold to a marketing company, or worst of all, an identity thief.
- It reduces the performance of your cell phone by using the memory of your phone.
- It can cause unauthorized charges to appear on your phone bill. Your wireless carrier may charge you for receiving a text message, whether or not you requested it.
Text Message Spam is Against the Law
Sending commercial messages to cell phones, pagers and other wireless devices is against the law without the user’s consent. It is also against the law to send any unauthorized text messages with the help of an auto-dialer. This technology is able to store and dial phone numbers using various types of number generators.
Exemptions from the law include:
- Noncommercial messages – such as fundraising campaigns or political surveys.
- Account or customer service messages – Once a relationship is established between you and the company, it is permitted to send messages regarding warranty information, account statements or product updates.
How to Stop Spam
Below are some things you can do to stop text message spam:
- Never reply or click on any links included in the message. Malware can be installed on your computer by these links and you will be redirected to a fake site that looks real but actually exists solely to steal your information.
- Delete text messages asking you to confirm or reply with personal data. Legitimate companies never contact you by text or email to ask for passwords, account numbers or other personal information.
- Think of your personal information as cash. Your credit card numbers, Social Security number, bank account numbers and utility accounts can be misused to steal your money or open new accounts in your name. Never include them in a reply to a text.
- Review your wireless phone bill for unwanted fees or charges. Report all instances to your carrier.
- If your carrier is Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Bell, it’s simple to report spam texts. Copy the original text and forward it to 7726 (SPAM) at no cost to you.
- Add your mobile phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry.