How do I report a spam text?
Report a spam text three ways: forward it to 7726, use the junk or spam report in your messaging app, and file it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then delete it without replying, because any reply at all tells the sender your number works.
Where can you report a spam text?
The FTC lists three places. You can use one, two, or all three.
1. Forward it to 7726. Copy the message and send it to 7726, which spells SPAM on a phone keypad. According to the FTC, that helps your wireless provider spot similar messages and block them later. 2. Use the report option in your messaging app. Look for a way to report the text as junk or spam. The iPhone and Android steps are below. 3. Report it to the FTC. The FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If the same "you won a gift card" pitch hits your phone three times this week, report each one. Forwarding to 7726 is about similar messages, not only the one in front of you.
How do you report a spam text on an iPhone?
Apple's Messages app shows a Report Spam link on messages from unknown senders.
1. Open the message. 2. Tap Report Spam. 3. Tap Delete and Report Spam.
One thing to know: Apple says a report won't stop that sender from sending you more messages. Reporting and blocking are separate steps on an iPhone, so if you also want that number blocked, block it too.
How do you report a spam text on Android?
In Google Messages, reporting and blocking happen together.
1. Touch and hold the conversation. 2. Tap Block. 3. Tap Report spam, then OK.
Google says this blocks the sender and moves the conversation to Spam & blocked. If you use a different messaging app, look for its junk or spam option, as the FTC suggests.
What should you do with the text after you report it?
Delete it. The FTC's advice for texts from unknown numbers is to delete and report them, and not to reply.
Don't tap any link in it either. If a toll text says you owe money and gives you a link to pay, don't use it. If you think a toll might really be unpaid, contact the state tolling agency yourself, through a number or website you know belongs to the agency, not anything from the text.
Can you check the number before you delete it?
Yes, if you'd like to know more first. A Lookup Pass lookup reads the carrier network live when you check, and also shows whether the number turns up in national scam and spam reporting.
Reports are what build a label. The Lookup Pass app lets you report a number in one tap. Once several different people have reported the same number, it gets a label everyone can see. One person's report, on its own, labels no one.
Frequently asked questions
Does reporting a spam text stop that number from texting me?
On an iPhone, no: Apple says a report alone won't stop the sender from messaging you. In Google Messages, a spam report blocks the sender at the same time and moves the thread to Spam & blocked.
Is it worth reporting a spam text if I'm going to delete it anyway?
Yes, because the FTC says forwarding it to 7726 helps your wireless provider catch similar messages and block them later. Report it first, then delete it.
I got a text saying I owe a toll. Should I report it?
Yes, if you weren't expecting it, report it and leave the link alone. If you think you might owe a toll, reach the state tolling agency through contact details you know belong to the agency.
Should I also report a spam text to the FTC?
You can, because ReportFraud.ftc.gov is one of the three reporting routes the FTC lists for spam texts. The other two are forwarding it to 7726 and your messaging app's report option.
Should I reply STOP to a spam text?
No, not to a number you don't recognize: the FTC says even a short reply confirms they reached a working number. Save STOP for a business you signed up with, which then has to stop texting you.
