Text messaging (SMS) spam and caller ID spoofing spam

Text message spam is any unwanted or unsolicited text message sent indiscriminately to your mobile phone, often for commercial purposes. It can take the form of a simple message, a link to a number to call or text, a link to a website for more information, or a link to a website to download an application.

T-Mobile's fight against spam

T-Mobile is committed to fighting mobile spam and encourages our customers to report unsolicited messages to us for investigation.

If you receive an unsolicited message please forward it to the Spam Reporting Service following the three simple steps below:

1. Forward the message to 7726 (which spells “SPAM” on most phone keypads). Please don’t edit the message or add any comments.
2. We'll reply to your message with a text message confirming we've received it and asking you to send us the number of the original sender.
3. Please send us the phone number of the person who sent the spam. We'll use this information to help identify who is sending spam and take appropriate action.

By reporting text message spam, you're helping us identify spammers and the messages they send. There's no charge to report mobile spam. Messages forwarded to 7726 do not count toward your plan. You can also place your number on the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call list at www.donotcall.gov. If you continue to receive spam messages or calls, you may file a complaint with the FTC at the same website.

Note: For information about blocking text messages without using Family Allowances, see Content Blocking.

What happens to the spam reports?

We automatically forward the message and details of the attacker to the Spam Reporting Service (SRS) system for analysis. The SRS is a global system to help protect mobile phone subscribers from spam, fraud, and malware. The SRS system is linked to a global database that tracks potential spam messages and helps identify bad senders. Our security team uses this database to update our network systems to block further attacks. If the attack is an act of attempted fraud, our anti-fraud team uses SRS to help identify and report the fraudster to appropriate authorities.

We take this very seriously and will continue to find ways to fight fraudulent activity on our system. By reporting SMS spam to us, you're helping identify and block spammers and the messages they send, helping to keep text messaging a safe and trusted communication channel.

Am I at risk of sharing my personal data if I report spam?

No. The message and the reporter’s details are encrypted by the system and never exposed to the analysts working on the service. Your identity will not be shown or shared.

How do I stop unsolicited text messages on my phone?

• If the text messages are coming from other phones, there are no keyword filters to stop the messages. Also, incoming text messages cannot be removed from accounts. You can change your mobile number as a way to prevent text messages coming from another mobile phone.
• If you're receiving unwanted messages from email addresses, log in to My T-Mobile and click through the text messaging links to the Power Messaging section. Here you can learn how to block messages from certain email addresses or messages that contain certain words.
• You can guard your private information by not using your T-Mobile number when you sign up for non-T-Mobile contests, sweepstakes, promotions, or newsletters.
• To opt out or unsubscribe from future unsolicited messages, go to the promotion or newsletter's website.

What can I do to avoid becoming a victim of text message spam?

Here are tips to protect yourself. Please note that T-Mobile will never ask you to “confirm” or “verify” your sensitive personal information in an unsolicited text message.

1. Never click on a link in a text message to a premium rate number or website unless you're certain that the message is from a trusted source that you initiated.
2. Don’t act on any message if you're suspicious of the content, even if it looks like it is from someone you know.
3. Never download applications from unauthorized app stores, and do not swap applications with friends using SD cards.
4. Reply to unwanted messages originating from short campaigns with BLOCK or STOP to prevent further messages being received on your phone from an unknown or unwanted source.

Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to display a number on the recipient's caller ID display which is not that of the actual originating station.

The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the motivation is considered nefarious by the caller. Just as email spoofing can make it appear that a message came from any email address the sender chooses, caller ID spoofing can make a call appear to have come from any phone number the caller wishes.

Because people are prone to assume a call is coming from the number (and hence, the associated person or organization), this can call the service's value into question.