You Can Report Spam Messages to Your Carrier

Spam texts are frustrating, and numerous. For some of us, it’s tough to see a day go by without another text from a malicious or suspicious sender, which, at the end of the day, can threaten your business. But you don’t have to accept these texts. Instead, report them to your carrier.

If you have a message pop up on your iPhone or Android device that you know isn’t legit, do this: hold on the text in question, then tap “Foward” (Android) or tap “More,” then tap the arrow that appears in the bottom right corner (iOS).

From here, type 7726 into the address field in your phone (this number stands for SPAM), then send. You should receive a message back from your carrier with any further instructions. For example, AT&T asks you to forward the phone number attached to that spam message to better track down offenders.

Depending on your phone and carrier, you may now see an option to report the message as junk. The option will appear on a text your phone’s OS believes to be fraudulent, and choosing it (as well as any subsequent pop ups) will have the same effect as forwarding the message manually to your carrier.

It isn’t clear exactly what steps your carrier takes after it receives one of these reports. But while it’s uncertain, it doesn’t hurt to fight back against scammers and phishers.

Remember: spam texts often mimick texts you receive from real companies and organizations, but there are red flags to always look out for. Keep an eye on spelling errors or oddly-worded texts; never tap a link that was sent unsolicited; do not share 2FA or MFA codes without confirming the identity of the sender first.