Stop Spam Text Messages
Spam text messages suck. They suck up time. They suck up bandwidth. They suck up data. They show up at the most obnoxious times too. An attorney can help you recover money damages from spam text messages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
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How to Stop Spam Text Messages
Spam text messages suck. They suck up time. They suck up bandwidth. They suck up data. They show up at the most obnoxious times too. You hear your phone ding at 3:00 AM. You think it must be an emergency. So, you roll over to check it, only to see…
“You could save Thou$ands of dollars a month by switching to [Insert Dumb Name] Insurance Company! Just click on the link below!
http://xr7yG3.com*”
You accidentally click on the link. At worst, it takes you to some site designed to steal your identity, or some Russian porn site you’re going to have to explain. At best, it takes you to a legitimate site to apply for insurance through [Insert Dumb Name] Insurance Company. Any way you slice it, it’s annoying, if not downright dangerous.
*It’s okay if you actually click on the above link, because it’s just a hyperlink back to this article.
How Do I Stop Getting Spam Text Messages?
There are a few steps you can take to stop getting Spam Text Messages.
First, if you have not already, you should add your phone number to the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry. It lets you opt out of most telemarketing calls, faxes, and texts. If you receive an unwanted phone call, text, or fax, after your number is on the registry for 31 days, you can report it to the FTC.
Second, understand that spammy texts are illegal. Robocalls are illegal too. Any text that is trying to sell you something is illegal, unless the company trying to sell you something got your express, written permission to try to sell you something. Now, you might have clicked on a box agreeing to marketing emails or texts messages when you signed up for a service. A lot of times these companies are sneaky about it. You’ll see stuff like:
“Unless you uncheck this box, you agree to allow us, and our affiliates to contact you regarding marketing opportunities.”
So, you might have signed up to get Williams Sonoma marketing stuff, but now you’re getting all these Pottery Barn text messages, and you’re wondering why that is happening. Well, Williams and Sonoma and Pottery Barn are related. So, you probably agreed to get Pottery Barn sales stuff when you signed up for Williams Sonoma sales stuff. But, you can always change your mind. You can opt out, and if you opt out, they have to stop.
Third, try to figure out who texted you. Do a quick internet search for the phone number. If you can’t trace it back to a company, check your phone bill to make sure the text actually came from the number that is showing on the text. A lot of companies have developed sophisticated technology to “spoof” the number they are texting from. That means they send a text looking like it’s from 831-555-4768, which you wouldn’t find in an online search, but really, the text is coming 831-555-3000, which is their main number, which you can find by a simple internet search.
Fourth, respond and tell them to stop texting you. Some IT people will disagree with this because responding lets the person sending the text know the phone number is a legitimate phone number. But, most of these scammers already know it’s a legitimate phone number, and that’s why they are sending it to you. You can protect yourself, let them know you’re serious, and often stop the messages, when you say something like:
To Whom It May Concern,
As you may know, my phone number is listed on the National Do Not Call Registry. I have not provided you, or your company, with my express written consent to try to sell me anything, which means your recent text violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. If you believe I am mistaken, please accept this as my request to be removed from any marketing or sales communications from you or your affiliates in the future.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Fifth, block their phone number and report it as spam to your carrier. Your phone has built in features to help block unwanted calls. For Androids, look for the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your text. Click on it, and select “People” and “Options”. Next, select “Block”, which will stop your Android phone from receiving spam text messages from that number in the future. For iPhones, click on the “i” in the top right of the spammy text. Next, click on the number, and select “Block”. If the number sent a bunch of different phone numbers the same text, scroll down to the very bottom of the list of numbers, and the last number is the jerk who sent the first text.
After you block the number, you can report it as spam to your phone carrier. All you have to do is forward the spammy text message to 7726. 7726 spells out “SPAM”. Pretty clever, huh? Don’t worry about a charge for the forward. Forwarding spammy text messages to 7726 is free.
That is usually enough to make the spammy text messages from any particular company stop. But, if you really want to rain hell upon the spammers, and maybe even make some money, contact an attorney.
How can an attorney help me with spam text messages?
An attorney can help you recover money damages from spam text messages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or “TCPA” provides that a person who violates the Telephone Consumer Protection Act is liable for $500 in damages for each violation. If a Court finds the Defendant acted “willfully”, which can be demonstrated by evidence like being on the no-call list, or texting even after you asked them to stop, the Defendant is liable for $1,500 in damages, per text. That really adds up. Araceli King got $229,500 for getting more than 150 robocalls from Time Warner Cable.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act violations can also result in class actions, which are even more likely to make the company stop. Capital One paid out $75.5 Million. Dish Network paid out $61 Million. AT&T paid out $45 Million.
We typically take these cases on a contingency. We typically try to negotiate a quick settlement for you. If we can, it works out for us, and it works out for you. If we can’t, we typically recommend pursuing a class action, or turning the spammy texter over to the FTC.
If you have been getting spammy text messages, and you want to try to collect damages you are entitled to, fill out our fast, free, confidential, case-evaluation form below. The case evaluations go straight to top consumer attorney, John McCarthy’s inbox. Attorney McCarthy makes it a point to review and respond, typically within 24 hours. If John thinks he can help, he’ll email you a link to book a free consultation with him. If John doesn’t think he can help, he’ll email you resources to help you understand the law, find an attorney, who might be able to help, and even takes steps to pursue it yourself.
The sooner these text spammers are confronted, the sooner they are likely to stop. So, why wait to take action?
OUR FAST, FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, CASE-EVALUATION FORM IS DESIGNED SO YOU CAN TELL YOUR STORY, DIRECTLY TO JOHN
START AN EVALUATIONYour responses will go straight to John’s inbox. John will review and respond by the end of the business day. If John thinks he can help, he’ll email you a link to schedule a free consultation with him. If John doesn’t think he can help, he’ll email you resources to help you understand the law, find a qualified lawyer to help you, and take steps to protect your rights. No waiting around.
