How to Report Spam Text Messages (iPhone, Android, FTC)

A text from an unknown number says your package could not be delivered. Another claims a toll is overdue. A third says your bank account has been locked. They look different, but they share a goal: to make you tap a link or reply with personal information. Text scams, often called smishing, are one of the fastest-growing fraud channels. This guide shows exactly how to report spam and scam texts on iPhone and Android, how to forward them to your carrier and the FTC, what not to do and how to cut the number you receive by shutting off the sources.

1. What counts as a spam or scam text

It helps to separate three kinds of unwanted messages.

Type	Example	Best response
Unwanted marketing	A store you shopped at keeps texting	Reply STOP to that known sender
Scam or phishing	Fake delivery, toll, bank or prize message	Do not reply; report and delete
Impersonation	“Hi Mom” or “Wrong number” openers	Do not engage; report and block

Scam texts often create urgency, include a link or a phone number and ask for payment or personal details. Their volume is huge. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over a million complaints in 2025 and reported $20.877 billion in losses, and the FTC reports that imposter scams were the most frequently reported fraud type (FBI IC3; FTC).

2. Do these things first (and avoid these)

Do not click links. Even a preview can reveal information.
Do not reply. Replies, including STOP, can confirm your number is active when the sender is a scammer.
Do not call back numbers in the text. Use the official number from a bill or website.
Do not share codes. Verification codes are keys to your accounts.
Take a screenshot if you want to keep evidence before deleting.

If you already clicked or replied, jump to steps to take after falling for a scam.

3. Step-by-step: report a spam text

Step 1: Forward it to 7726

Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). Major carriers use these reports to investigate and block similar messages. You may receive a reply asking for the sender’s number; send it if prompted.

Step 2: Report it in your messaging app

On iPhone, open the message from the unknown sender and tap Report Junk, then confirm. On Android, open Google Messages, tap the menu or Block, choose Report spam and confirm. Other messaging apps have similar options; check the three-dot menu.

Step 3: Report it to the FTC

Visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov and file a report. The FTC’s guide, how to recognize and report spam text messages, explains the same steps. Reports help investigators spot patterns even if the FTC cannot resolve individual cases.

Step 4: Block the sender

Block the number in your messaging app. Scammers change numbers frequently, so blocking is a stopgap, not a solution.

Step 5: Delete the message

After reporting, delete the text to avoid tapping the link by mistake.

Step 6: Report serious cases elsewhere

If you lost money or gave away personal information, report to IdentityTheft.gov, notify your bank or card issuer and consider filing a complaint with the FBI’s IC3 at ic3.gov. Our guide on how to report identity theft walks through the recovery plan.

Expert tip: Turn on your phone’s built-in spam filtering and “filter unknown senders.” It cuts the number of scam texts that reach your main inbox.

Curious what’s already out there? Wiperts’ 100% Free Diagnosis shows which data brokers are listing your name, home address and phone number. Check your exposure free — it takes about a minute.

4. Common text scams in 2026

Delivery problems. “Your package could not be delivered. Update your address.”
Toll and fine notices. Fake unpaid toll or parking messages with payment links.
Bank and fraud alerts. Claims your account is locked.
Wrong-number openers. A friendly message that leads to romance or investment fraud.
Job offers. Easy remote work for fees or personal information.
Account verification codes. Requests to read back a code you did not request.
Government and tax messages. Real agencies do not demand payment by text.

You can learn the scripts in avoiding phone scams, how to deal with online scams and phishing for personal info.

5. Why you get so many spam texts

Spam texts follow your number. Reasons include:

Listings on people-search sites and directories. Your number is easy to harvest.
Marketing lists. Sweepstakes, surveys and loyalty programs sell numbers.
Data breaches. Your number may have been exposed in a company breach; see what to do after a data breach.
Automated dialing. Scammers send messages to sequential numbers.
Apps and contacts. Friends’ apps upload address books.

The long-term fix is to shrink your exposure. Search your number and take it off listings; see how to remove your phone number from the internet and is your number public?. Register at donotcall.gov to reduce legitimate telemarketing.

6. Carrier, phone and app-level defenses

Reporting is only half the job. You also want fewer of these texts to arrive, and the tools are already on your phone. Both major phone platforms have a built-in filter for unknown senders that sorts them into a separate list, and turning it on keeps most junk out of sight while leaving messages from your contacts untouched. Use it alongside the report-junk option in the messaging app, which sends the message to your carrier or the platform for review.

Your carrier offers its own layer. Forwarding a spam text to 7726 (the digits spell SPAM) is a long-standing, carrier-supported way to report it, and the carrier can then trace the sender. Some carriers also provide free apps that label or block suspected scam traffic. Check what yours offers, because it takes a few minutes and works in the background afterward.

For texts that come from a legitimate business you once dealt with, replying STOP is usually enough, and the sender is expected to honor it. For texts that look like scams, do not reply and do not tap links, because a reply confirms your number is active and can lead to more messages. Blocking the sender is fine, but scammers rotate numbers, so blocking is cleanup rather than prevention.

7. Cutting the source of the texts

Spam texts follow your number around the broker ecosystem. The longer term fix is to reduce how many databases list it. Removing your number from people-search sites and marketing lists will not stop every message, but it cuts off the lists that scammers buy, and it makes the remaining texts easier to treat as noise. Pair that with caution about where you type your number, since contest forms and coupon sign-ups are common starting points.

8. Keep a record if the texts get serious

If a scam text led to a loss, or the messages are threatening or harassing, treat it as more than an annoyance. Take screenshots that show the number, date and full message, note any amounts or accounts involved, and keep them in a folder. Contact your bank right away if you shared card or account details, and report the incident through the federal channels listed above. A tidy record speeds up every later step, from disputing a charge to asking your carrier to investigate, and it helps investigators see patterns across many victims.

9. Three scenarios

Scenario 1: A fake delivery text. Do not click. Forward to 7726, report in Messages, check the real shipment through the retailer’s app and delete the text.

Scenario 2: You clicked a link and entered a password. Change the password immediately, enable multi-factor authentication, contact the service, check your accounts and report; see steps to take after falling for a scam.

Scenario 3: You get dozens of texts a week. Report a sample, enable spam filtering, remove your number from listings and consider a secondary number for sign-ups.

10. What to expect: a realistic timeline

Action	What happens
Forwarding to 7726	Carrier may block the sender; you may not hear back
App report	Message moves to junk; patterns feed filters
FTC report	Added to a database used by investigators
Listing removals	Fewer texts over weeks to months
New scam texts	Likely continue; keep reporting

11. Common mistakes

Replying STOP to scammers.
Clicking “unsubscribe” links in suspicious texts.
Assuming a message is real because it knows your name.
Reporting only once and ignoring the root cause.
Forgetting to change passwords after clicking.

12. How Wiperts fits

Reporting handles the messages that arrive. Wiperts reduces the supply. It scans more than 100 data brokers and people-search sites for your phone number, name and address, submits removal requests, removes your personal results from Google and Bing, blurs your home on maps and monitors 24/7 so the lists that feed scam texts shrink and stay smaller.

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13. Key takeaways

Forward spam to 7726, report in your messaging app and file with the FTC.
Never click, reply or call back numbers in scam texts.
Spam volume follows listings and breaches; remove your number.
Act fast if you clicked or shared information.

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14. Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a spam text on iPhone?

Open the message in Messages. If it came from someone not in your contacts, tap Report Junk under the message, then choose Delete and Report Junk. You can also press and hold the message and forward it to 7726. Then report it to the FTC and delete the thread.

How do I report a spam text on Android?

Open the message in Google Messages, tap the three-dot menu or the Block button, choose Report spam, and confirm. Samsung Messages and other apps have similar options. Forward the message to 7726 and file with the FTC too.

What is 7726?

7726 spells SPAM on a phone keypad. It is a short code supported by major U.S. wireless carriers where you can forward a spam text so the carrier can investigate and block similar messages. It is free to use under most plans.

Should I reply STOP to a spam text?

Reply STOP only to messages from companies you recognize and did business with. For unknown senders and scams, do not reply, because it can confirm your number is active and invite more messages.

Where do I report a scam text to the government?

File a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FTC’s reporting portal. If you lost money or provided personal information, also visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan, and consider filing with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov for serious cases.

Why am I getting so many spam texts?

Your number may be listed on people-search sites, sold in marketing lists, exposed in a data breach or guessed by automated dialing. Removing listings and reporting texts reduces the volume over time.

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