I Got a Scam Text — What Should I Do

You got a scam text — maybe a fake delivery notification, a 'your account has been suspended' alert, or a stranger asking 'is this still you?'. These texts (called smishing) are everywhere now, and they're designed to bypass the part of your brain that pauses and thinks.

Here's what to do the moment one lands.

Even replying 'STOP' confirms your number is active and listened-to — which makes you more valuable to scammers, not less. Don't click any links and don't call any numbers in the message.

If you got a scam text claiming to be from a real company (Amazon, USPS, your bank), open the official app or website directly to check.

Forward the message to 7726 (which spells SPAM) — this is a free service supported by all major US carriers. It feeds into anti-fraud databases that help block future scams.

On iPhone, you can also tap 'Report Junk' under the message. On Android, hold the message and choose 'Block & report spam'.

Blocking won't stop all scam texts (scammers spoof and rotate numbers fast), but it cuts down repeat offenders.

If you got a scam text seemingly out of nowhere, your number was probably leaked in a breach or scraped from a people-search site. Check your exposure — knowing where your data sits helps you scrub the surface and reduce future scams.

You don't need to guess whether your information is floating around in a breach dump. ThreatRidge cross-references billions of leaked records and gives you a plain-English Cyber Health Score in about ten seconds. No signup. No credit card. We don't store or sell the email you enter.

If your score comes back low, you'll see exactly where the exposure is and what to do next. If it comes back clean, you'll know you're ahead of most people online — and what to do to stay there.

The best time to check your exposure was yesterday. The second best time is right now. Check your free Cyber Health Score at ThreatRidge.com.