Spam Text Messages (1 Viewer)

Leonard

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I have had an explosion of spam text messages. As many as 20 or more per day.

Does anybody have any experience with RoboKiller or other apps that screen/block spam texts? I'd be willing to pay a subscription but I'm not sure how secure these apps are or how well they work.

Apparently there is no way to specifically silence texts from unknown senders (on iOS). You can filter them to an "unknown senders" category but they still send an alert. I will often silence my phone but can't do that when I'm on call.

L
 
Every time I got one of those, I texted back saying “STOP” and shortly after I would get an automated response that I had been removed from the mailing list.
 
I have had this issue for a while but in the last two weeks I am getting as many as two dozen group spams per day. Specifically the ones with a weird word string and a link with 20 additional people texted on the chain/group. These are much more problematic then your occasional spam text for some product. I have my cell phone on my business website and assumed it was because of that.

Literally yesterday I googled for a fix because it has literally become overwhelming and I am missing important texts. In my short search I found 3 options;

Some solutions:
  • Your phone has built in functionality including filtering texts from numbers not in your contacts. That is a no-go from me as perspective clients not in my contacts text me.
  • Install an app like TextKiller which segregates suspected spam texts into a different folder and you wont get alerts from those texts. I did this for now because I needed an immediate solution. Free trial for a week and $20 for the year thereafter. I have not been alerted to a spam message in the last 24hrs, but 8 have been segregated, so it appears to be working fine.
  • Apparently these texts are being sent by a bot via email. So apparently you can contact your provider (AT&T) and eventually get in touch with a tech rep and have them turn off "email to text" SMS & MMS. This should cut out all of those spam bots. I am considering trying this but I am still concerned about the potential to miss client contact so I am going to look into this more when I have a chance before committing to this. I am hoping the carriers get this figured out though in the next year and I don't have to do anything permanent like this.
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I seriously have this problem lol
I have over 600 blocked numbers now and they just keep coming in
 
Every time I got one of those, I texted back saying “STOP” and shortly after I would get an automated response that I had been removed from the mailing list.
If it's like my situation, these are coming from things like email addresses etc. are true spam versus just marketing messages.
 
I seriously have this problem lol
I have over 600 blocked numbers now and they just keep coming in
Same here.... I have no way of knowing this for a fact, but it started after we began using Doordash for some food deliveries during the lockdowns.... every driver gets your cell phone #, and I'm not sure how it would work, but seems like someone could probably sell that info...? Anyway, just going with the timeline, no actual way of knowing, but they are f'ing annoying......
I currently just block all numbers and emails as they arrive, I may have to call my provider and request the email-to-text block as that seems to be the way they are coming in now....
 
Keep an eye on your credit cards too. Last week a fraudulent charge was declined on my Amex. Account closed and new card on the way. Last night someone tried to charge $2800 on my MasterCard at WairFair.com, which was declined due to fraud suspicions. Someone said this could be the Equifax breach coming to light, but I'm not sure I believe that.
 
Same here.... I have no way of knowing this for a fact, but it started after we began using Doordash for some food deliveries during the lockdowns.... every driver gets your cell phone #, and I'm not sure how it would work, but seems like someone could probably sell that info...? Anyway, just going with the timeline, no actual way of knowing, but they are f'ing annoying......
I currently just block all numbers and emails as they arrive, I may have to call my provider and request the email-to-text block as that seems to be the way they are coming in now....
We don't use the food delivery apps, I chocked mine up to having a straight talk phone which is basically a prepaid phone/plan that auto fills every month. Either way, yes. Annoying, and not sure I can do the auto block through the service I have. Worth checking out though.
It does seem oddly coincidental that the 2 intertwine for you though. There's probably some fine print online that explains more about it.
Most of the calls are "vehicle warranty expired" and such. The texts are straight up bizarre though, like weed gummies and lose up to 60lbs all with links. I never open them since it sends a read report back. The only other thing I can think is I have SMS from paypal, zelle, and my bank accounts.... which is scary given Tommy's post above
 
Oooh- that AT&T no email to text thing sounds good.
 
I chocked mine up to having a straight talk phone which is basically a prepaid phone/plan that auto fills every month.
I have Straight Talk and I do not have this problem. I get spam texts, but maybe 2 a month tops. You probably signed up for something shady and they sold your information. Always remember, whatever you are doing, if you did not pay money to do this, then the product is not the thing you are doing the product is you
 
So funny story incoming….me and @Chippy McChiperson happen to have phone numbers that are literally one digit off. Very random to begin with. Now, the spammers often target similar numbers to get you to respond. Now, we are both on some of these spam messages together so each time it comes in I think for a second it’s legit. God save me if the spammers switch from cat fishing tactics to NAGB entry fishing.
 
I have Straight Talk and I do not have this problem. I get spam texts, but maybe 2 a month tops. You probably signed up for something shady and they sold your information. Always remember, whatever you are doing, if you did not pay money to do this, then the product is not the thing you are doing the product is you
I don't/didn't sign up for anything
 

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