Bombarded with spam calls and texts everyday? You’re not alone. Unwanted calls are the Federal Communications Commission’s number one consumer complaint. They’re disruptive, time wasters, and overall just annoying.

In fact, Americans are receiving 47 spam messages a day and 7 spam calls a month on average per person, totalling billions of spam messages and calls every month.

But spam is more than just a nuisance—it’s actually the most common tactic used by scammers to commit fraud. And, with such a high volume of spam, and increasingly sophisticated scammers (now wielding tools like artificial intelligence), people are finding it harder to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent calls and messages. In 2023 alone, US adults lost $25.4 billion to spam and scam calls.

Spam is a gateway for various online attacks. Specific tactics include:

• Phishing Attacks: Spam messages often contain phishing links designed to trick you into sharing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers. These links usually lead to fake websites that look legitimate, fooling you into entering your personal details.
• Malware Distribution: Some spam messages may include attachments or links that, when clicked, download malware onto your device. This malware can steal your data, monitor your activities, or even lock your device until a ransom is paid.
• Identity Theft: By collecting personal information through spam calls and fake websites, attackers can impersonate you and commit fraud, open new accounts, or access your existing accounts.
• Financial Fraud: Spam messages may promote fraudulent schemes, such as fake investment opportunities or lottery wins, designed to trick you into sending money or sharing sensitive personal information.

Here’s a typical scenario of how attackers use spam for phishing and hacking:

1. Initial Contact: You receive a spam text or call from an unknown number.
2. Engagement: The message may claim you’ve won a prize or that there’s an urgent issue with your bank account, prompting you to engage.
3. Information Gathering: If you respond, the attacker may ask for more personal or sensitive information, and/or direct you to a phishing site.
4. Exploitation: Once they have your information, attackers can launch further attacks, steal your identity, or commit financial fraud.

Who is at risk?

Many people believe that older adults (aged 60 and over) are more likely to fall victim to spam, but reports suggest people aged between 18 to 59 years old are most affected. Regardless, given its sheer volume and prevalence, spam is a risk to everyone.

How to identify a spam call or text?

It’s generally recommended that if you receive a call from an unknown number, you should not pick it up. Picking up a call from an unknown number could expose you to scams. Further, picking up a call from a scammer (or telemarketer, robocaller) could indicate that your number is active, which can lead to more calls in the future. If you are expecting an important call from someone who’s number you may not have saved (i.e., your doctor), it’s still best to exercise caution. Your doctor will likely leave a message, which will allow you to vet the call before returning it.

If you receive a text from an unknown number, keep an eye out for these red flags:

1. The message isn’t relevant to you
   
   Example: You are not expecting a package, yet receive a text message as follows:
   
   “Your package failed to be delivered. Please respond to confirm your address and expected shipping date.”
2. The message requires you to take immediate action
   
   Example: You have never exchanged text messages on your personal phone with your boss before, yet receive a text message as follows:
   
   “Hi Lily, this is your boss, John. I need your help with something right now. Please text me back as soon as possible.”
3. The message contains grammatical or spelling errors
   
   Example: Scam texts often contain errors, such as:
   
   “Congrat! You have won a prize of $5000 dollars. Respond YES to claim prize!”
4. The message contains inaccurate statements
   
   Example: You receive a text message from a recognizable firm (Amazon, FedEx, Costco, etc.) or a friend from an unknown number, such as:
   
   “COSTCO: Your account has been compromised. Please respond to this message to secure your account.” OR
   
   “Hi friend, this is Ava! I’m stranded without my wallet, can you transfer me $200?”
   
   In either case, you can easily verify the legitimacy of these messages by logging into your account or calling your friend to confirm.
5. The message contains suspicious links
   
   Some companies may send your shortened links, but the URL will show the shortening service, such as TinyURL or Bit.ly. However, a suspicious link will not display recognizable signs of a URL shortening service, or may include incorrect branding of the business, such as:
   
   “To confirm enrollment, click here: “bil.ty/13445”

   “Verify your account information here: “www.amaz0n.com”

   “This is Bank of America. Did you just charge $2342.23 to your account? Let us know if not by clicking here: “www1.bankofamerca.com”
   
   Never click suspicious links. Clicking a link may download malware to your device.

Protect yourself from spam with these immediate steps

1. Use text and call blocking features: Most smartphones and carriers offer built-in call and text blocking features. Enable these to block spam from unknown numbers.

   1. Block iPhone Spam Calls
   2. Block iPhone Spam Texts
   3. Block Google Pixel Spam Calls
   4. Block Google Pixel Spam Texts
   5. Block Samsung Galaxy Spam Calls and Texts
2. Avoid sharing sensitive and personal information: Do not click on links in unsolicited messages and do not share any information with unknown callers. If you are unsure, contact your carrier, bank, or other businesses you have an account with on their official channels to verify their identities and requests.
3. Register with the Do Not Call List: Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce telemarketing calls and report unwanted calls.

Switch to Cape for advanced spam protection

Cape is a privacy-first mobile carrier that uses real-time AI machine learning technology to proactively fingerprint and block as much as 90% of spam. Our model learns from a centralized spam database to score the credibility of numbers and hyperlinks, and filter out unwanted calls and messages at the network level, so that you can stay one step ahead of would-be fraudsters.

At Cape, your privacy and security is our top priority. Understanding the risks of spam and taking proactive steps to protect yourself is crucial to mitigating its occurrence and dangers. Switching to Cape will give you the peace of mind that your mobile experience is safe and secure. With our spam protections, you can focus on what matters most.

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