Americans are drowning in spam text messages posing as acquaintances, job opportunities and even government officials.
Many iPhone users have expressed frustration over the spam messages, with some claiming to have received more than 400 this month alone.
While users can reply with “Stop” to remove themselves from the list, Apple has a little-known trick to prevent unknown senders from texting them directly.
Users can filter messages to another folder, meaning they won’t receive a notification when the text arrives.
Americans are drowning in political campaign text messages as the November 2024 election approaches
Scammers send fake text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information, such as your password, account number or Social Security number, the Federal Trade Commission shared.
‘If they get that information, they could access your email, bank or other accounts, or they could sell your information to other scammers.
Apple already has a system for such moments, and it is found in Settings.
Users go to Settings, then select Messages and scroll down to Message Filtering, where they can turn on “Filter Unknown Senders.”
Once the option is enabled, the ‘Filters’ option will appear in iMessage at the top left, where all unwanted text messages will be sent, and users will not receive a notification when they enter.
Another option is to block the sender of the text message, but the individual or bot can spam you from a different number.
Many iPhone users have expressed frustration over the unwanted messages, with some claiming to have received more than 400 this month alone.
While many spam messages attempt to trick Americans into handing over their information or money, there is a flood of political messages urging them to vote and choose a side.
One user on X wrote: ‘I dread looking back from my deathbed and regretting the vast amount of time I spent typing ‘enough’ in political text messages.’
The flood of messages is likely due to the Supreme Court easing the requirements for obtaining permission to send mass text messages in 2021, Axios reported.
Data shows that in 2020, the Republican National Convention sent more than 225 million text messages to encourage voters to the polls.
“Text messages are an important tool, but of course, like many people, I’m annoyed by the amount of them I get and how often I have to send a STOP message,” Melissa Michelson, dean of Menlo College, told Time magazine.
This year, Republicans are again leading Democrats in campaign messaging: the group has sent twice as much so far.
While users can reply with “Stop” to remove themselves from the list, Apple has a little-known trick to prevent unknown senders from texting them directly.
Political messages aren’t the only ones bothering Americans: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported that illegal and spoofed robocalls have been the top consumer complaints.
‘This includes complaints from consumers whose numbers are being spoofed or whose calls are being mistakenly blocked or labeled as a possible fraudulent call by a robocall blocking app or service,’ the FCC shared.
‘Scammers make automated calls to ask you about your Social Security number, taxes, or Medicare.
“They say that if you don’t pay or refuse to give them your personal information, something bad will happen to you or you will lose some government benefit. It’s a scam.”
The agency has urged the public not to respond to unknown senders and to contact their phone company to help block such calls.