How to Block Spam Text Messages With Trend Micro Check

Header

Author: Trend Micro

May 31, 2022

This article is from trend micro.

We all know that spam text messages (sometimes called robotexts) are annoying, but what
many people don’t realize is that they can be incredibly dangerous, too. Scammers often use
spam text messages as a way to trick people into clicking on links, visiting malicious websites,
and inadvertently parting with their personal and financial data.


People lose lots of money to these scams too — according to the FTC, $131 million in
2021 alone!


Whether you want to stay safe from scams or just stop being bombarded by annoying
messages from spammers, scammers, and telemarketers, if you’re looking to learn what you
need to do to keep spam text messages at bay, this is the guide for you!

Tip #1 — Don’t respond

It may sound obvious, but this is a very important tip. If you respond to spam text messages,
you are simply giving the sender confirmation that your phone number is legitimate and active
— meaning you will most likely end up receiving even more of their messages than you
otherwise would have.
In fact, you shouldn’t interact with the messages in any way. Spam messages will almost always
contain a phishing link that leads to a malicious website. Such websites are designed to steal
people’s personal and financial information or infect devices with malware. We’re continuously
observing lots of cases in which the scammers impersonate recognizable brands such as Costco,
Apple, Netflix, and Paypal, too. Please be careful.

Tip #2 — Block the spammers’ phone numbers

Although blocking a spammer’s phone number isn’t guaranteed to stop them from sending you
unwanted messages in the future — they will often switch numbers or mask their real number
— it’s certainly worth a shot, especially because it is very quick to do so!

How to block a phone number on iPhone:

1. Open the text message and click on the phone number at the top of the screen.

2. Select info underneath the phone number.

3. Click on Block this Caller.

4. Select Block Contact.

How to block a phone number on Android:

Please note that depending on which version of Android you have, the instructions may be
slightly different.
1. Open the text message and select Block number in the top-right corner.

2. Click on Block.

Tip #3 — Report spam text messages

By reporting spammers’ phone numbers to your phone carrier, you can help out massively in
the never-ending battle against the spammers! It’s pretty easy to do so, too. All you need to do
is forward your spam text messages to 7726 (which is easy to remember because it spells out
SPAM on a phone’s keypad). See below to learn how to report text messages.

How to report spam messages on iPhone:

 Open the text message, tap and hold the message bubble, then select More.
 Select Forward.
 Forward the message to 7726.

How to report spam messages on Android:

 Open the text message and tap and hold the message bubble.
 From the menu that appears, select Forward.
 Forward the message to 7726.

Tip #4 — Block all spam texts with Trend Micro Check (it’s
FREE!)

Although the other tips in this article are solid, this last one trumps them all! Hands down, the
best way to block spam text messages is to use Trend Micro Check — and it’s completely FREE!
Any messages identified as suspicious or malicious get sent straight to the trash, but anything
important — personal messages or verification codes, for example — come through as normal.
Used by over 2 million people and powered by the world’s largest scam database, Trend Micro
Check is the easiest way to get complete protection against scam and spam text messages.
With absolutely no ads or in-app purchases, there’s no reason not to give it a shot today! If
you’re annoyed by spam messages, you won’t regret it!

Report a Scam!

Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!

Help & Info

Popular Stories

As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu

So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking.  If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller.  The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the