The Federal Trade Commission released new data showing that Americans reported losing $470 million to scams that started with text messages in 2024. The agency identified five dominant categories of text-based fraud, ranging from fake delivery alerts to phony bank warnings. While the FTC data focuses on reported losses (not total message volume), the built-in filtering tools on iPhones and Android phones remain one of the most underused defenses available to consumers.
Text Scam Losses Hit $470 Million
According to the FTC’s April 2025 data release, consumers reported losing $470 million to scams initiated through text messages over the course of 2024. Because this figure reflects reports made to the FTC, it may not capture every incident. Many people never file complaints, either out of embarrassment or because they do not realize they were targeted until weeks later.
The reported losses reflect a broader pattern of scammers using text messages to create urgency. Texts arrive directly on a phone, demand immediate attention, and often mimic a trusted institution. That combination can make it easier to prompt someone to tap a link or share personal information.
Text messages also benefit from a built-in presumption of legitimacy. People are accustomed to receiving real alerts from delivery services, banks, pharmacies, and government agencies via SMS. When a fraudulent message slots into that mix and uses familiar branding or phrasing, it can be difficult to distinguish from the real thing, especially on a small screen where URLs and sender details are easy to overlook.
Five Scam Categories Driving the Surge
The FTC broke down the most common text scam types, and the list reads like a catalog of everyday anxieties. Fake package delivery notifications topped the rankings. These messages typically claim a parcel cannot be delivered and direct the recipient to a spoofed tracking page that harvests credit card numbers or login credentials. With online shopping now routine for most households, the timing of these texts often lines up with a real order, which makes them especially convincing.
Bogus job opportunities and task scams also ranked among the top categories. These messages promise easy remote work or quick payouts for completing simple online tasks. Victims are drawn in with small initial payments before being asked to deposit larger sums to “unlock” higher earnings. The money, predictably, vanishes, and the scammer disappears once the victim has sent enough funds or shared enough personal information.
Bank fraud alert texts represent a third major category. A message arrives claiming suspicious activity on an account and urges the recipient to call a number or click a link. The goal is to extract account credentials or trick the victim into authorizing a transfer. Scammers often spoof familiar bank names and include partial account numbers or transaction details to increase credibility.
Unpaid toll texts round out the list, with scammers sending notices about supposed highway toll balances that link to fake payment portals. These messages exploit the reality that many drivers use electronic toll systems and may not track every charge. Wrong-number texts, which seem innocent at first, also made the FTC’s list. These messages often open with a friendly “Hey, is this Sarah?” and gradually steer the conversation toward investment fraud or romance scams once the recipient engages.
What ties all five categories together is social engineering. None of these scams require sophisticated hacking. They rely on human instinct: the urge to track a package, the fear of a compromised bank account, the desire for easy income, or simple curiosity about a stray message. That is precisely why filtering tools matter so much. Blocking the message before it reaches a user’s main inbox removes the emotional trigger entirely.
How to Turn On iPhone Spam Filters
Apple’s iOS includes a built-in message filtering feature that many users never activate. To enable it, open the Settings app, scroll down to Messages, and toggle on “Filter Unknown Senders.” Once active, the Messages app will sort incoming texts into two tabs: Known Senders and Unknown Senders. Messages from numbers not saved in contacts, not recognized by Siri, and not previously messaged will land in the Unknown Senders tab without triggering a notification.
This filter does not block messages outright. It silences them and moves them out of the primary view, which reduces the chance of an impulsive tap on a scam link. Users can still check the Unknown Senders tab at any time. The key benefit is friction: by adding a small barrier between the scam text and the reader’s attention, the filter disrupts the urgency that makes these schemes work.
For additional protection, iPhone users can also enable “Silence Unknown Callers” under the Phone settings, which sends calls from unrecognized numbers straight to voicemail. While this targets voice calls rather than texts, it helps close a secondary channel that scammers use to follow up after sending an initial SMS lure. Combined, these settings make it harder for fraudsters to get real-time engagement.
How to Enable Android Spam Protection
Android phones can offer spam detection tools through the Messages app (often Google Messages) and the Phone app. To activate text spam filtering in Google Messages, open the app, tap the three-dot menu, select Settings, then Spam Protection, and toggle it on. When enabled, suspected spam may be routed to a separate spam folder so it does not appear alongside legitimate conversations.
For call-based spam, open the Phone app by Google, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings, then Caller ID and Spam, and enable both “See caller and spam ID” and “Filter spam calls.” Depending on the device and settings, this can help identify suspected spam and reduce interruptions from unwanted calls. Users can usually review filtered items to correct mistakes if a legitimate call is misclassified.
Samsung Galaxy devices, which run a modified version of Android, can have a slightly different path. Users should open the Samsung Messages app, tap the three-dot menu, select Settings, then Block Numbers and Spam, and turn on the spam filter (menu names can vary). The exact labels vary by device model and software version, but the core function is the same: suspected junk gets diverted before it can prompt a response.
Why Filters Alone Are Not Enough
Enabling spam filters is a strong first step, but no automated tool catches every fraudulent message. Scammers constantly rotate phone numbers, use short codes that mimic legitimate businesses, and craft messages designed to slip past pattern-detection algorithms. A filter that blocks 90% of junk still lets one in ten through, and it only takes a single convincing text to cause real damage.
That gap is where reporting becomes critical. The FTC operates an online portal where consumers can file complaints about scam texts and other fraud. Every report feeds into a database that law enforcement agencies use to identify and shut down active scam operations, prioritize investigations, and spot emerging tactics. Even if the money is gone, documenting what happened can help protect others.
Victims who shared Social Security numbers, bank details, or other sensitive information should also take additional steps to protect their identity. The FTC’s identity theft guidance walks people through placing fraud alerts, checking credit reports, and creating recovery plans tailored to the type of data exposed. Acting quickly can limit the long-term fallout from a single text.
Consumers can also reduce unwanted outreach by registering their phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry. While it will not stop criminals from sending illegal texts, listing a number at the federal registry can cut down on legitimate telemarketing calls and make it easier to spot contact that violates the rules. Fewer unsolicited messages overall means fewer chances for a scam to slip through unnoticed.
The FTC’s latest figures underline a simple reality: text scams are not going away, and they are becoming more expensive for victims each year. Turning on device-level filters, reporting suspicious messages, and following up when personal information is exposed will not eliminate the threat, but these steps dramatically reduce the odds that a single text will turn into a costly mistake. As scammers refine their scripts and target new anxieties, the most effective defense remains a mix of technology, vigilance, and a willingness to slow down before tapping any unexpected link.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
