Don't reply STOP to spam texts; block the number instead.

3 days ago7 min read

We’ve all been there. Your phone buzzes with a text promising a too-good-to-be-true deal or a plea from a political campaign you’ve never heard of, and nestled at the bottom is that tempting instruction: ‘Reply STOP to unsubscribe.’ It feels like the polite, efficient way to make it stop, right? Well, here’s the curious thing I’ve learned from diving into how these systems work: that simple reply can backfire spectacularly. By responding, you’ve just sent a beacon back to the sender confirming your number is active and monitored by a real person.For a legitimate business, that ‘STOP’ command might work as intended, but for the shadowy world of spammers and scammers, it’s an invitation. You’ve essentially raised your hand and said, ‘I’m here, and I’m reading this,’ which often leads to your number being tagged as high-value and bombarded with even more junk.The smarter, more immediate fix is to use the powerful tools already in your pocket. Instead of engaging, just block the number.On an iPhone, tap the sender’s info in Messages and hit ‘Block Contact. ’ On Android, long-press the conversation in your Messages app and select ‘Block.’ It’s a cleaner, more definitive break. Of course, the deeper question is how they got your number in the first place—data breaches, web scraping, or those seemingly harmless online forms.While you can’t control every leak, being more selective about where you share your digits is a solid first line of defense. So next time that unsolicited text pops up, resist the quick-fix temptation. Hit block, and move on with your day, leaving the spammer talking to a void.

#spam text messages

#cybersecurity

#phone security

#blocking numbers

#privacy

#featured