Do you receive a lot of spam text messages asking you to claim for an accident you’ve never had? Or an SMS to reclaim the PPI money you’ve already reclaimed for free and have since spent on a break in Alicante?
You probably know that there are many straightforward ways to deal with spam texts. Even your mobile provider offers a simple method to blow the whistle on irritating spam text messages – but does anyone know about it?
A few weeks ago we shared a fact on our Facebook page – you can report spam texts to your mobile provider by forwarding them to 7726. And, to the surprise of many, the post revealed a public in the dark about using 7726 to report spam texts.
Can you honestly say you’ve heard of 7726? Or even used it? We asked 2,000 members of the general public exactly that.
Use 7726 to report spam texts
A whopping 90% of our survey respondents who owned a mobile phone didn’t know they could report a spam text using 7726! Plus, almost half of mobile owners say they get at least one unwanted spam text once a week.
Previous research also told us that six in 10 of you would be more likely to report a spam text or nuisance call if you knew how to report them and who to report it to.
This means that you’re not only highly likely to be receiving spam texts, but you also want to report them.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is also now warning of an increase in spam texts and nuisance calls following the changes to pension rules which came into force on 6 April.
So go forth and raise awareness of 7726 – use it to report unwanted, unsolicited and unwelcome spam text messages.
How does 7726 work?
All of the UK’s mobile operators worked together to deploy a tool which collates all the information from the 7726 short code in real time. This means they can take early action to block numbers that are generating spam on their networks. They can also use this information to inform the regulators. So remember:
- You can report spam texts directly to your mobile phone provider free of charge by forwarding the text message to 7726.
- It’s easy to remember as the number spells out SPAM on a mobile keypad.
- When you report a spam text you may get an automated response thanking you for the report giving you further instructions if needed.
Do you get a lot of spam text messages? Had you heard of 7726 before reading this? Will you use it?
Do you report spam texts using 7726?
No, but I will from now on (72%, 458 Votes)
No I don't (19%, 119 Votes)
Yes I do (9%, 56 Votes)
Total Voters: 633
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