Stop Unwanted Calls and Messages

Unwanted calls and text messages can come in the form of either SPAM or harrassment. SPAM is most common and is more easily dealt with but harassing calls are more serious and sometimes require more radical action.

This page will review the precautions you should take to prevent unwanted communications and the actions you can implement to eliminate an existing problem.

There are steps that you can take to try to stop unwanted calls and messages before they even happen. Some of the unwanted calls and messages from businesses, marketers, or spammers are particularly easy to prevent.

Keep your cell phone number private. Provide it only to those individuals you trust.

Be aware of the privacy policy of any business before you provide your cell phone number. Providing it may not only allow them to contact you with additional offers but in some instances, they will sell your information for others to use. Keep this in mind even in the non-internet world.

Be particularly wary of downloads to your cell phone. Your cell phone number is then available to this company and it's especially critical to use these only if they are a trusted site.

Look for check boxes indicating that you are giving permission for further marketing contacts when you sign up for anything online; whether you are making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting membership in something. If such additional messages or calls would be unwanted, uncheck the box or if preferred, provide an e-mail address only.

Signing up for the "Do Not Call Registry" should be your first step if you want to stop unwanted calls and messages. You can register your number at DoNotCall.gov.

Never open any unwanted text messages or respond to them in any way. Either delete them or forward them to the FTC at spam@uce.gov.

Work to prevent phishing operations from discovering your e-mail address and number. Use an e-mail address that would be hard to guess, use both letters and numbers in it.

Be sure all members of your family are aware of these precautions so that they don't accidently agree to unwanted calls and messages or provide your contact information to unreliable sources.

Many spammers call from "private" numbers and other individuals may block their number as well so that it can't be identified. There are a few options available to help eliminate the frustration of such calls.

Many modern cell phones allow the user to program their phone to block unknown and private calls which will go a long way in reducing unwanted calls and messages. Reading through the owner's manual will reveal how this can be accomplished as well as how to activate any webmail filter.

Check your cell phone company's website. It often allows you to set up filters as well, to help eliminate unknown callers and spam. Some even allow you to block roaming and/or international calls to eliminate such excessive charges.

Another option is to program the cell phone to have all private/unknown calls assigned a silent ringtone so that it goes unanswered and instead ends up on voice mail where the user can later delete it just as they do e-mail delivered to their spam folder on e-mail.

Many unwanted calls come from blocked or restricted numbers. There is now a service that can identify such callers for you to deal with. TrapCall can do this within seconds for a fee.

Spam filters are also available. Some are even free such as Spambayes and Mailwasher.

A final option is to have all calls which originate from callers not on your contact list to roll to voicemail. Again, you can delete any unwanted calls later.

If the above efforts aren't satisfactory there is software available to help users blacklist numbers. This Windows Application Call/SMS Blocker is an example.

You are not alone in the fight to stop unwanted calls and messages; many consumers before you have fought the same fight. Sometimes inquiring with other users of a service can produce a quick and useful response that will get you on your way.

For example, this Wireless Advisor Forum offers a section of each of the major providers and Mobiledia has a Verizon Wireless specific forum. The AT&T User Forum is useful and this T-Mobile forum can also help provide answers. This page offers a Sprint Users Forum to ask and answer questions. These are only a few of the options; a search online can reveal a number of other sites which can prove useful.

There are a few things you can do if you are receiving unwanted text messages.

Disable text messaging altogether.

Go to the cell phone company's website to set up your preferences. You can often block certain domains or eliminate messages originating from the internet which is where most spam is generated.

Call your cell phone company to make them aware of the situations. See if they can block a specific number/develop a block list and have them reverse any charges.

If the above suggestions don't achieve the desired results consider additional software to block messages such as that mentioned in the previous section. Text Guard is a newer example of a downloadable program that reportedly does this.

Spammers and persistent marketers are not the only source of unwanted calls and messages. Other individuals may choose to harrass you. Harassing another individual via their cell phone is illegal. If you've asked a caller to stop, ignored them, and still receive calls or messages, you should report it to your cellular company.

Your company can often assist in getting a caller blocked or, if necessary help track the caller. The police should also be notified for your safety. Keeping a record of the dates, times, and a description of any call is advisable for assisting in any investigation or prosecution.

In some cirumstances it is advisable to change your cell phone number.

This article on Stalking and Harassment provides more tips on how to handle the situation. This Privacy Rights article defines harassment, offers links to cyberstalking laws, and provides additional tips.

Young children who are given a cell phone often have one that doesn't connect to the internet and thus the risk of spam is greatly reduced. In addition, the phones for young kids often allow calls only from those programmed into their contact list reducing the likelihood of bullying as well other unwanted calls and messages.

However, when more sophisticated phones enter the picture risks increase. Kids need to be well versed in how to handle any inappropriate messages and calls and should be advised of some of the "rules" listed above for starters.

See Best Cell Phones for Kids for phone recommendations, plans that can help protect them, and additional reading on the of how to stop unwanted calls and messages.

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Photo Credits

Introduction: Claudecf.
Preventing Unwanted Calls and Text Messages: timsamoff. (no derivative work allowed)
Blocking Cell Phone Calls from Unknown Numbers: qwrrty.
Blocking Text Messages: Nate Steiner.
Stopping Harassing Cell Phone Calls and Text Messages: Conner 395.