How to stop robocalls and robotexts and avoid scams

The government crackdown on robocalls has pushed con artists to resort to robotexts.

Since the new federal law took effect in June 2021, scam and unwanted robocalls have dropped in half.

But the law didn’t apply to robotexts. The number of robotexts has risen from 1 billion a month in mid-2021, to 12 billion a month in mid-2022, to 15 billion a month in January 2023. Of fraud cases reported to the FTC last year, 22 percent of scammers used a text to contact potential victims.

How to tell whether a text or call or email is a scam

Only in recent months has the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed new rules that would require phone providers to filter scam robotexts just like they must do with scam robocalls.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel  noted that many of us are peppered with scam texts about packages that are supposedly lost or delayed, confirmation of payments that actually didn’t happen, links to scam websites and texts from someone who supposedly sent the text to the wrong person accidentally.

“These scam robotexts are a part of everyday life for too many of us,” Rosenworcel said in a statement.  “I’m asking my colleagues to join me in adopting the first FCC rules to focus on shutting down scam texts. But we’re not stopping here.  Because we are going to keep at it and develop more ways to take on this growing consumer threat.”

The FCC on March 16 will consider the scam text rules, as well as ways to tighten rules to combat scam robocalls.

It may be getting better, but, unfortunately, we’re going to need to be on guard for scam calls and texts for a long time. Below we have advice on how to deal with them, which are both a nuisance and a threat.

Our full guide with tips to protect yourself from scam robocalls and robotexts

Here’s how to report illegal robocalls, Do Not Call violations in all 50 states

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