Can you stop scam texts? Why you are receiving spam messages and how to report them

• Scam messages are getting increasingly sophisticated. 
• Fraudsters will play off your emotions in order to trick you out of money. 
• Autogenerated numbers mean it is like playing whack-a-mole trying to stop them. 
• It starts with what seems like an innocuous message. ‘Mum, my phone is broken’. 

But it is coming from a number you don’t recognise, which may make you pause for a second. And yet it seems so urgent, so you reply - after all your child could be in real trouble - and before you know it you are sending money to help. 

The only problem is, that text wasn’t from your kid and it was in fact from a scammer who was using emotional manipulation to rinse you out of hundreds of pounds. I have had a seemingly endless number of texts from random numbers that echo the same message - fortunately I am no-ones mum and so I just delete it and move on. 

Yet what if it was pretending to be my parents or my brother or my girlfriend. It takes just one moment to hook you and reel you in, if they catch you on a hectic day when you are overwhelmed at work and perhaps not thinking straight. 

Or if you are expecting an important parcel and the scammers pretend to be “UPS” or “Amazon” to inform you of a “problem” with the delivery that requires extra payment to sort. We are all at risk of being caught in this modern nightmare. 

So how do you stop these messages? And more importantly - how did they get your number in the first place. Let’s take a look shall we. 

Why are you receiving more scam texts? 

It feels like we’re experiencing something of a tidal wave of scam texts over the last few years. From messages along the lines of ‘help I’ve broken my phone’’, to claims of needing to pay a fee to release a package from the ‘Post Office’, you probably have received at least one or two of these in recent months. 

But why is this happening? Well, there does not seem to be a smoking gun per say to fully explain the phenomenon. 

However it appears that scammers have moved away from robocalls - those automated (vaguely threatening) phone calls contacting you about your “recent accident” which, if you haven’t had any accidents, sure feels like a scene from Final Destination. 

Instead they are sending out mass, auto-generated spam texts. Perhaps that is a sign of the times and a recognition of younger generations' reluctance to make or answer phone calls. 

And if you are wondering how exactly they have ended up with your number, according to Kaspersky there are a multitude of possibilities. The spammers could be using technology to generate numbers automatically - so even if you’ve got a new number recently, that could be how they have got their hands on it already. 

How to spot scam texts? 

The robotext scam messages might be getting more sophisticated - especially when it comes to appealing to our emotions. But it doesn’t mean there aren’t tell-tale signs for spotting these kinds of texts. 

Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert website explains: “These usually message randomly generated numbers, advertising services such as accident 'ambulance chasers', PPI claims handlers or debt write-off firms.” 

The messages will also usually come from an 11-digit mobile number and the company isn't identified. So for example it will have +44 at the start of the number. 

It might be good practice currently to remain sceptical about any message from unknown senders and take care before you reply to them. 

Should you reply to the messages? 

Never reply to scam texts. Don’t ever send a message saying STOP, you may think that is an easy way to get them to leave you alone but please never reply to them. 

The website Bitdefender explains that if you reply in any form to the message it “tells scammers that your phone number is active, allowing them to target you with scams and phishing attempts”.

MoneySavingExpert adds: “Any numbers that are confirmed are likely to be sold on to injury claim specialists, PPI reclaiming firms or other unscrupulous marketeers who may further spam you with unsolicited calls and texts. Ensure you don't click on any links within the text either.”

If you are in doubt, just ignore the message. 

Is it possible to stop scam texts? 

Unfortunately, it is really rather tricky to pre-emptively stop scam texts from dropping in your inbox. It is a bit like playing a really miserable game of whack-a-mole, they will use a range of different numbers to spam out these messages. 

But if you have received a text that you think is a scam, you can block the number. That is one small action you can take - at least. 

The steps are slightly different depending on if you have an iPhone, Android or other device. If you have an Apple device, go to info in the contact details section and hit block. 

For those who have an Android handset, there should be three dots in the top corner when you open the message and you will get an option to block the number as well. 

What scams should you watch out for right now? 

My colleague Amber Allott, our education specialist, covered the rise in ‘smishing’ scams targeting university students last week. These phishing scams pretend to be Student Fiance and claim to have identified an issue with the student loan in order to fleece you - usually by asking to ‘verify’ bank details. 

Can you report nuisance calls and texts? 

On its website Citizens Advice explains that you should not receive calls about PPI (payment protection insurance), personal injury and other claims “unless you’ve told them they can”. If you are receiving cold calls of this kind you can report them to the Information Commissioner's Office. 

Citizens Advice adds: “It’s helpful if you know the number they called from and the date and time they called. If you don’t have all this information, you can give other details of the call - for example, the name of the company that called you. The Information Commissioner will investigate and can fine the company who called.” 

You can also register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and be added to their list of numbers that don’t want to receive sales and marketing calls. It’s against the law for sales people from the UK or overseas to call numbers registered with TPS.

However Citizens Advice warns: “Registering won’t stop automated marketing calls, also known as ‘computer generated calls’. This is because the law only applies to people, not computers. You should talk to your telephone provider about how to stop these calls.” 

Have you noticed an uptick in scam messages recently? Should there be a wider effort to clampdown on these fraudsters across the globe - share your thoughts by emailing our tech writer: [email protected].