How can I report SMS spam and potentially receive compensation?

Key findings

• Reporting SMS spam: In the United States, forwarding spam SMS messages to 7726 (SPAM) is a primary method for reporting them to your mobile carrier. This helps carriers identify and block similar messages.
• Government reporting: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides a platform, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, where consumers can report fraud, scams, and unsolicited communications, including SMS spam.
• Compensation potential: Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in the U.S., individuals may be eligible for statutory damages (e.g., $500 to $1,500 per unsolicited text) if they receive spam SMS messages from real companies, provided their number is on the National Do Not Call Registry.
• Documentation is key: To pursue compensation, it is vital to document all details of the spam, including sender number, date, time, and content, before reporting to 7726 or blocking the sender.

Key considerations

• Do not respond: Never reply directly to spam SMS messages, even to unsubscribe, as this confirms your number is active and can lead to more spam.
• Carrier vs. legal action: While forwarding to 7726 is effective for carrier-level filtering, pursuing compensation via TCPA requires identifying the sender and potentially sending a demand letter, often facilitated by legal expertise.
• Do not call registry: For TCPA claims, ensure your mobile number has been on the Federal Do Not Call list for at least 30 days prior to receiving the unsolicited message.
• Impact on sender reputation: SMS spam complaints, much like email spam complaints, can negatively impact the sender's reputation, potentially leading to blocklisting (or blacklisting) and deliverability issues for legitimate communications.

Key opinions

• Spam source confusion: Some marketers observe SMS spam originating from email domains, like Yahoo, to mobile numbers, leading to questions about reporting efficacy.
• Shift in spam tactics: There's a noticeable trend of recruiters and other senders shifting to SMS as their cold email strategies face increasing deliverability challenges.
• Uncertainty of reporting feedback: Marketers are often unsure if reporting spam through messaging apps (e.g., iMessage) effectively feeds back to the original email provider or cellular carrier to curb future incidents.

Key considerations

• Impact on deliverability: The challenges in sending email to SMS gateways highlight the complex technical and compliance requirements involved, affecting how SMS spam is generated and received. For more details on this, refer to our guide on email to SMS gateway challenges.
• Identifying spam types: Marketers frequently see spam related to job offers (e.g., work from home part-time) indicating common lures used by spammers.
• Understanding complaint mechanisms: Understanding how SMS spam complaints affect a domain's reputation, similar to email domain reputation, is crucial for senders.
• Universal reporting number: While useful, forwarding to 7726 is primarily for mobile carriers, and additional steps might be needed to report to originating email services.

Key opinions

• Universal reporting number: Experts confirm that forwarding SMS spam to 7726 (SPAM) is the standard method for carriers to review messages and enhance their spam filtering.
• TCPA demand letters: Before reporting to 7726, individuals in the U.S. may be able to identify the sender and issue a TCPA demand letter to seek statutory fines.
• Documentation for compensation: It's advised to collect screenshots and sender details of spam before reporting it to preserve evidence for potential legal claims, as reporting might delete the message on some devices.
• Eligibility for TCPA claims: To pursue TCPA compensation, a mobile number must be registered on the Federal Do Not Call List for at least 30 days. This applies to real companies, not typically scammers or political entities.

Key considerations

• Understanding impact of complaints: Just as with email, SMS spam complaints can lead to blacklisting and reduced deliverability, affecting the sender's ability to reach recipients.
• Carrier/OS behavior: The behavior of SMS reporting (e.g., whether the message is deleted after reporting) can vary depending on the mobile carrier and operating system (iOS vs. Android), impacting the ability to gather evidence.
• Identifying spammers: While some SMS spammers are easy to identify (e.g., through requested links or websites), others can be more elusive, making identifying the spammers challenging.
• Legal complexities: The landscape of spam litigation is complex, with few spam court cases for emails, and SMS spam having specific exemptions for political messages, which have not been extensively litigated.

Key findings

• Reporting to carriers: Wireless providers advise forwarding suspicious text messages to 7726 (SPAM) to help them identify and block future spam from similar senders.
• FTC reporting: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the central authority for reporting fraud and scams in the U.S., including unwanted text messages, through their consumer advice platform.
• TCPA provisions: The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) prohibits unsolicited text messages, offering a legal basis for individuals to pursue compensation against violators, with statutory damages ranging from $500 to $1,500 per message.
• Do not call registry: Registration on the National Do Not Call Registry is a prerequisite for certain TCPA claims, underscoring its importance for consumer protection against telemarketing and text message spam.

Key considerations

• Evidence collection: Official advice often stresses the importance of keeping records of spam texts (date, time, sender, content) for legal purposes, before taking action that might delete the message.
• Compliance for businesses: Businesses sending SMS messages must adhere strictly to consent requirements and the Do Not Call list to avoid violations and potential fines, which is similar to email marketing rules regarding consent.
• Legal action limitations: While the TCPA provides recourse, it primarily targets legitimate businesses, not international scammers or political organizations, limiting its applicability in certain cases.
• Error codes: Some technical documentation, like those pertaining to SMS error 30007, indicate how carrier violations and spam blocks can directly affect message delivery, serving as a feedback loop for senders.