Nowadays, it’s unfortunately normal for your phone to get clogged by incessant spam texts from random numbers.
If these texts are scams, the messages will be designed to get you to reply and confirm that you are a real human being that can be targeted. They range from a confusingly brief “hi” to a tantalizing text about an “exciting job opportunity” or an innocuous notification about a package delivery.
One way to clear your messages and your mind is to block them from ever reaching you on your phone. Here’s how:
It’s easy to block unknown messages on your phone. Take advantage of this option.
You can filter messages from unknown senders on Apple phones by doing the following:
1. Go to Settings, then Messages.
2. Scroll down until you see the option for message filtering.
3. Select Filter Unknown Senders.
If you’d like to see the messages that are being filtered out, tap Filters in the top-left corner of your Messages, then tap Unknown Senders.
Android users have a way to block unknown numbers, too. For Android phones:
1. Go to Settings, then select Blocked numbers.
2. Toggle on the Unknown option. This will block private or unidentified numbers from contacting you.
Scammers win when they make their emergencies your own. And unfortunately scammers are good at winning. The Federal Trade Commission reports that Americans lost $330 million from texting scams in 2022, with an average loss of $1,000.
“Scammers use the speed of text communication to their advantage: they hope you won’t slow down and think over what’s in the message. Some messages promise a good thing ― a gift, a package, or even a job,” the FTC warns on its website. “Others try to make you panic, thinking someone’s in your accounts. These are all lies and ways to take your money and personal information.”
By adding a text filter, you are creating a helpful digital layer between you and a spam text that helps you avoid being lured into a scammer’s emotional mind-games.
Beyond adding a spam filter on your phone, you can also use apps or features for blocking or flagging unwanted calls provided by your wireless providers, although not all of them are free.
Here are some of the most common ones from major wireless providers: AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter and T-Mobile Scam Shield. The trade association for the wireless industry, CTIA, also maintains a website of call-blocking apps for Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows phones.
Ultimately, the goal is to keep spam out of sight so it is more likely to stay out of mind, and adding more filters in your messages and calls is one of the best and easiest ways to do this.
