Spam Texts: How to Spot Them and Report Them to 7726
Fake delivery notices, payment problems and prize offers all aim to get your passwords or card numbers. The FTC's advice on handling and reporting them.
In this article
Text scams work because a text feels personal and urgent. The Federal Trade Commission says scammers send fake texts to get your password, account number or Social Security number, then use them to get into your email, bank or other accounts, or sell them to other scammers.
The messages to watch for
The FTC groups scam texts into two kinds:
Promises
- Free prizes, gift cards or coupons
- Low- or no-interest credit cards
- Help paying off student loans
Fake account problems
- "Suspicious activity" on your account
- A problem with your payment information
- A fake invoice telling you to call if you didn't make the purchase
- A package delivery notification
Links in these texts can lead to a spoofed website that steals your username and password when you log in. The FTC also warns that some messages can install malware that steals information without you noticing.
What to do instead of clicking
- If an unexpected text asks for personal or financial information, don't click any links. The FTC says legitimate companies won't ask for your account information by text.
- If the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is genuine, not the details in the text.
- Turn on your phone's spam filtering or unknown-sender filtering, and check what blocking tools your carrier offers.
Three ways to report
- Copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). The FTC says this helps your carrier spot and block similar texts.
- Use the report-junk or report-spam option in your messaging app.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you already clicked
Our suggestion: if you entered a password, change it right away on the real site and on any other account where you reused it, and turn on stronger sign-in such as a passkey. If you shared card or bank details, call your bank using the number on your card.
More: Cybersecurity coverage.
Sources
- How to Recognize and Report Spam Text Messages — Federal Trade Commission · Primary source · accessed October 16, 2026Supports: Scam types, advice not to click, contacting companies directly, filtering options, reporting to 7726, in-app and ReportFraud.ftc.gov
About the author
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