Remember the days when your phone would ping and you knew you had received a text from a loved one or a friend checking how your day was?
Nowadays, when you hear the text message tone, it is a feeling of mixed excitement and anxiety because it could be anything from your grandma saying hi, to a well-executed scam telling you that you have won on a lottery ticket you didn’t even play.
Robotexts and spam messages are a fact of life, just like robocalls and junk email. Sometimes they aren’t too invasive and can easily be deleted or ignored, but sometimes they can be downright annoying and can make you feel like your privacy is continually being invaded. Not only are they irritating, but they can also be dangerous too. The technology, and or people, behind these calls and texts are so professional and intelligent, that they can often get you questioning your level of scrutiny because they sound or seem so convincing.
Here are 3 tips we recommend to keep in mind when dealing with robotexts/calls, and spam messages/calls:
1. Don’t Respond
Even though it may be tempting to send a message telling them to leave you alone, if you click a link or attachment in a spam message, it could trigger malware that infects your phone. By responding to a spam message, you’re letting the scammer know that there is someone on the other side of the phone. This will without a doubt increase the number of spam and junk messages coming to your number. The best thing to do is not to respond at all.
2. Block The Number
It is really easy to block a number that has been spamming you. The only issue is that even if you block one of the robotexting or spammer numbers, they change numbers often and will likely find another number to use to get through to you at some point or another.
- Spam Hound SMS Filter
SpamHound is a fantastic free service that behaves in certain ways depending on what kind of phone you have. If you have an iPhone, the app will open in a new window and Apple’s built-in Messages app will work through SpamHound to filter out any SMS spam or robotext.
If you have an Android device that you also use to access the games at Lucky Creek, then the SpamHound app becomes your default SMS app for sending and receiving texts. SpamHound automatically displays past text messages and gives seamless access to your contacts. The only major drawback is that you won’t be able to add GIFs, images, videos, or other files.
When it comes to blocking messages, the app is super smart and will detect keywords and certain other warning signs that are synonymous with spam messaging. There is an option to fine-tune SpamHound’s ability to spot spamming keywords which you can personalize for your needs.
There are plenty of other ways in which to keep the robotexts and scammers off your back, but you should find plenty of relief with these 3 tips for now.