Scam Text Messages: How to Spot, Report and Block Them

Is this text a scam? Red flags in scam text messages

Text message scams are costly. People reported $470 million in losses to them in 2024, more than five times the 2020 figure, according to the FTC's look at the top text scams. Most share a few warning signs:

• It arrives out of the blue about a package, a toll, a bill, a prize or a problem with an account.
• It pushes you to act fast: pay now, verify now, or face a fine, a frozen account or court.
• It asks for information such as a password, a one-time code, a card number or a Social Security number. The FTC says legitimate companies won't ask for your account information by text.
• It includes a link or a QR code to pay, track or “fix” something.
• It wants payment that is hard to trace, such as gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency.
• It is a friendly note from a stranger who seems to have the wrong number.

A real company name or a local-looking number does not make a text genuine. When in doubt, contact the company through a website or number you know is real, as the FTC advises.

USPS text scam and other fake delivery texts

Fake delivery texts were the most reported text scam of 2024, the FTC says, usually from someone pretending to be the U.S. Postal Service. The message claims a missed delivery, unpaid postage or an address problem, and the link leads to a look-alike site that asks for a small fee and your card details.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS will not text or email you unless you first asked for tracking with a tracking number, and those messages will not contain a link. Expecting a package? Skip the link and check USPS.com or the store where you ordered. You can report a USPS text scam by emailing the message text and a screenshot to spam@uspis.gov.

Toll text scam and fake traffic tickets

A toll text scam says you owe money for unpaid tolls and must pay right away through a link. The FTC warns that texts about unpaid tolls are probably a scam. The link leads to a phishing page that wants your card or bank details and may also collect personal information, like your driver's license number.

A newer version uses a QR code. In 2026 the FTC saw a spike in reports about texts about traffic violations that look like official court notices, threaten fines or default judgments, and tell you to scan a code to pay. Don't scan it. Check with the tolling agency or the court through a website or phone number you know is real.

Wrong number text scam: why you should not reply

A wrong number text scam starts with something harmless, like “hi, how are you?” or a coffee invite meant for someone else. Replying to say they have the wrong number is the opening the scammer wants. The FTC says these chats often grow into a friendship, sometimes with romantic undertones, and end with a pitch to invest, often in cryptocurrency, on a bogus platform.

Even a short reply confirms your number works, which can bring more scam calls and texts, the FTC notes in its alert on ignoring texts from strangers. The safest move is not to answer. Delete the message and report it.

Fake bank alerts, job offers and prize texts

• Fake fraud alerts: a text that looks like it is from your bank or a big retailer asks you to reply YES or NO about a large purchase, or to call a number. The FTC says the fake “fraud department” then pressures you to move money to keep it safe, and that money goes to the scammer. Call your bank at the number on your card instead.
• Job and task offers: a text offers easy work, such as rating products, with few details. Later you are told to pay to unlock your earnings. The FTC's guide to job scams is blunt: honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
• Prizes and gift cards: a text says you won something but must pay a fee or share account details first. The FTC's guide to fake prize scams says real prizes are free.

What to do with scam text messages: report, block, delete

Don't reply, don't tap links and don't call numbers in the message. Then take a minute to report it:

1. Report it in your messaging app. On an iPhone, tap Report Spam under a message from an unknown sender, then Delete and Report Spam. In Google Messages, touch and hold the conversation, then tap Block, Report spam and OK.
2. Forward it to 7726 (SPAM). The FTC says this helps your carrier spot and block similar messages; the FCC notes most carriers support it.
3. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, especially if you lost money. For fake USPS texts, also email spam@uspis.gov.
4. Delete it. Once you have reported it, there is no reason to keep it.

The FTC's guide to spam text messages has more on reporting. If a scam call came with the text, see how to stop spam calls.

Block and filter text message scams on iPhone and Android

• iPhone: in Messages, tap the Filter button, then Manage Filtering, and turn on Screen Unknown Senders. Texts from unknown senders go to a separate folder, and you are not notified unless you choose to be. Spam filtering is on by default. To block one sender, open the conversation, tap their icon at the top, tap Info, then Block Contact (Apple's guide).
• Android with Google Messages: spam protection turns on automatically; it is under Messages settings, Protection & Safety, Spam protection. Google notes that when it is on, links in messages may be sent to Google to check whether they are malicious (Google's guide).
• Your carrier: the FTC suggests asking whether your wireless provider offers a tool to block spam texts.

Filters miss some scam text messages and sometimes catch real ones, such as a verification code. Check the filtered folder now and then.

If you clicked a link or replied to a text message scam

What to do depends on what happened:

• You only replied: stop responding and block the sender. Expect more messages, since your reply confirmed the number works. An iPhone will not let you report a message after you reply, so forward it to 7726 instead.
• You tapped a link but entered nothing: close the page. The Postal Inspection Service advises telling your bank if you interacted with a scam link, even without submitting anything. Keep your phone's software up to date.
• You entered a password or code: change that password right away, and anywhere you reuse it, and turn on multi-factor authentication. If it was a bank login, call the bank.
• You shared card, bank or Social Security details: go to IdentityTheft.gov for steps based on what you lost, as the FTC advises.
• You paid: contact your bank, card issuer or payment app right away and ask to reverse the payment. The FTC's What To Do if You Were Scammed covers each payment type.
• You think something installed: the FTC suggests updating your security software, running a scan and removing anything it flags.

Unsure about the number behind a text? See our guides on checking a phone number and finding out who called.

Where Aya fits

Aya Scam & Privacy Lookup, from ASL, can give you a second opinion before you respond. Paste a suspicious text and Aya weighs it against twelve scored patterns that turn up in scam messages, such as manufactured urgency, requests for a password or one-time code, delivery fees, prizes, job offers and claimed government authority. Each pattern is written to match English and Spanish wording.

Aya also takes apart every link in the message, looking for things like shortened links that hide where they go, raw numeric addresses, look-alike characters and a brand name buried in a domain the brand does not own. It never opens the link, loads the page or follows a redirect. A quiet result is reported as no known threat found, never as safe.

A text check uses 2 paid credits, and there is no free plan; packs start at $9.99. Aya runs on the web and on Android, where the app is a free download on Google Play, and you need an account. It cannot prove who sent a message. See how Aya works.

Frequently asked questions

Should I reply STOP to scam text messages?

Not to a sender you don't recognize. The FTC advises against replying to unexpected texts, and any reply confirms your number is active. Replying STOP makes sense for texts from a business you know you signed up with. For everything else, report and delete.

What does the USPS text scam look like?

A text says a package is on hold, postage is unpaid or your address needs updating, with a link to fix it. The Postal Inspection Service says USPS texts only come after you request tracking, and they will not contain a link.

Where do I report scam text messages?

Forward them to 7726 (SPAM), use the report option in your messaging app, and report them to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then delete them.

What if I already paid a toll text scam?

Contact your card company or bank right away to report the charge and ask for a reversal. The FTC notes these pages can also collect personal details, so watch for identity theft and report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Can Aya tell me if a text is a scam?

It can flag warning signs. Aya checks a pasted text's wording against scam patterns and inspects its links without opening them, then reports what it found. A quiet result means no known threat found, not that the message is safe.

Related guides

• Is This Phone Number a Scam? How to Check a Number
• Who Called Me? How to Find Out Who Called From This Number
• How to Stop Spam Calls on Your Cell Phone and Landline

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