Blocking irritating and unwanted text messages on the phone keeps you away from harassment. If you ask me I keep getting dirty texts from random numbers and what to do, then I’ll advise you to block that number.
It’s common to receive spam texts, whether for purchasing something or offering a winning amount from a contest. Some can be interesting, whereas some are harmful. Besides being painfully disturbing, spam texts often steal your identity and personal details by installing malware into your phone.
But repeatedly getting dirty texts from random numbers is not only strange but also can be dangerous. Sometimes blocking them doesn’t help because blocking a single number won’t stop the texts. So, after thorough research, we’ve pointed out how to fix it.
I Keep Getting Dirty Texts from Random Numbers, Now Here’s How I Stop
The first thing we need to keep in mind is that these random numbers are likely spoofed or fake numbers. Usually, spammers use software to send texts and the recipient sees a random number, which often may not exist. That explains how easy this is for spammers to keep sending such text messages.
While blocking the numbers may work, the possibility that they’ll use the same number next time is low, but blocking isn’t the permanent solution.
Don’t Click On Strange Links
The scammers must know a way to track who clicks on the links in the text messages, and that’s what you don’t want to do. Many of those are short links, so you’ll never know where it will redirect you once you click it. Clicking such links can expose you to scams, download malware and hack your credentials. So, when you get the texts, delete them immediately.
Don’t Reply the Messages
Like clicking on links, replying to their messages may imply that you’re trying to connect with them; in that case, you’ll keep getting dirty texts. If you do not reply in any way, it’ll indicate to them that they have an inactive/invalid phone number, and they’ll remove you from their bulk text message lists.
Block Texts from Unknown Numbers
While this may not work for everybody, blocking texts from unknown numbers is often helpful. After a few times, check if the numbers are recognizable. If you see that the same numbers are continuously sending you dirty texts, simply block them by pressing and holding the text message, then select Block, Block Sender or Block Number.
After blocking those numbers, it’s recommended to contact your carrier and complain about the numbers and also about getting dirty texts from random numbers. They may be able to find the origin of these messages since mostly very few dishonest people send such messages.
Filter Spam from Unknown Senders
Nowadays, mobile phones come with the feature of filtering spammers. So, they don’t show up on the device even after spammers send texts from random numbers.
To turn on spam filter on Android,
- Open the device’s Messaging app.
- Tap the three dots icon above and select Settings.
- Toggle on Enable Spam Protection.
To filter spam messages on iOS,
- Select Settings > Messages.
- Turn on Filter Unknown Senders.
Install Anti-Spam App
While we advise setting rules to block text messages from unknown numbers, we realize that many of us use mobile phones for business and expect to get some texts from unknown numbers that we need. This is where anti-spam apps come.
Such apps allow you to set necessary rules and restrictions, including keywords, to ban any texts that match these. There are multiple spam message blocking apps available like Truecaller, YouMail, SMS Blocker, Nomorobo, Blacklist and Robokiller. When you’re worried about “I keep getting dirty texts from random numbers”, installing anti-spam apps helps you out.
Protect Personal Credentials
Don’t we keep our money safe? Similarly, we need to save our personal credentials from being scammed. We recommend securing all the information, including bank account numbers, passwords, card details, social security numbers etc., that can expose your identity to scammers.
Remember, no authentic company will ask for your bank account details or pin number via text. So, do not share your personal information through text messages. Check the company number properly and business details before sharing any sensitive data.
Mark and Report as Spam
In many cases, marking and reporting a number that texts you dirty messages as spam is enough. Yes, it doesn’t stop those texts, but you can be one step forward towards ending the spam pandemic.
To mark a text as spam on Android,
- Open the Message app.
- Press and hold the conversation you want to mark as spam.
- Select Block & Report Spam (the step may vary based on the device).
To report spam or junk messages on iOS,
- Open the message you want to report.
- Tap Report Junk.
- Select Delete > Report Junk.
That’s all. Rather than saying, “I keep getting dirty texts from random numbers, what to do?” try the above tricks. These will reduce the chance of being exposed to identity theft. Also, keep learning the latest guidelines to protect your privacy from hackers and spammers. If you find this article helpful, please share it with others.