Mobile phone spam is a form of unsolicited communication for advertising, commercial, or malicious purposes . It can take the form of SMS , MMS , or phone calls . Phone spam can have harmful consequences for users, such as harassment, fraud, theft of personal data, or overbilling.

In this article, discover how to protect yourself effectively.

How to protect yourself from telephone spam?

There are several ways to protect yourself from phone spam and limit the risks associated with this practice. Here are some tips to follow:

Do not give your mobile phone number to third parties without being sure of their reliability

Avoid disclosing your mobile phone number online , in registration forms, contests, or on social media. You risk receiving unsolicited calls or messages from malicious companies or individuals.

Register on the Bloctel opt-out list

This is a free service that allows people who do not wish to be contacted by telephone to register on a list that companies must consult before contacting them. To register, simply visit www.bloctel.gouv.fr and enter your landline or mobile phone number.

Use the filtering systems offered by your telephone operator

Some mobile operators offer the option to block calls from withheld , premium-rate, or unwanted numbers. You can also use a dedicated app for blocking unwanted calls, such as Truecaller or Mr Number .

Do not answer calls, SMS or MMS messages from unknown senders or that seem suspicious

Do not call back premium-rate numbers , do not send codes to premium-rate numbers, and do not click on links to suspicious websites. You could be the victim of fraud , personal data theft, or overcharging.

Do not download attachments from MMS messages if you do not know the sender or if they seem suspicious

These attachments may contain viruses or malware that can damage your mobile phone or access your personal data. To protect yourself, it is advisable to use antivirus software on Android that can detect and remove potential threats. Prefer trusted sources and check the file extension before opening them.

Report spam numbers to 33700

This is a free service that allows users to report numbers that engage in voice spam or SMS spam by sending a message to 33700 with the text “ spamvocal ” followed by the number to be reported or “ spamsms ” followed by the number to be reported.

What are the types of telephone spam?

There are several types of telephone spam, depending on the communication method and the sender's objective. Here are the main ones:

• Unsolicited telemarketing : This refers to repeated calls from companies offering products or services without the recipients' prior consent. These calls can be made by humans or automated voice systems.
• Voice spam : This refers to calls that hang up as soon as you answer or leave a voicemail message urging you to call back a premium-rate number. The goal is to make the user pay additional fees or to extract personal information.
• SMS spam : This refers to unsolicited text messages containing commercial offers, links to fraudulent websites, or codes to send to a premium-rate number. The goal is often to charge the user additional fees or steal their personal data.
• MMS spam : These are unsolicited multimedia messages containing images, videos, or audio. These messages can be infected with viruses or malware that can damage the mobile phone or access the user's personal data.

How to recognize telephone spam?

It's not always easy to recognize phone spam , as senders often use techniques to impersonate legitimate callers . However, here are some clues that can help you identify phone spam :

• The sender's number is unknown, masked, or starts with an unusual prefix (e.g., 0899).
• The call is very short , hangs up immediately or leaves an incomprehensible or abnormal voicemail.
• The SMS or MMS message contains spelling mistakes , generic terms (e.g., “dear customer”) or offers that are too tempting (e.g., “ you have won a trip ”).
• The SMS or MMS message asks you to call back a premium-rate number , send a code to a paid number, or click on a link to a suspicious website.
• The SMS or MMS message contains an attachment that may be infected by a virus or malware.

What should you do if you are a victim of telephone spam?

If you are a victim of telephone spam and have suffered harm (for example, overbilling, fraud, or theft of personal data), you can take legal action against the responsible senders. Here are the steps to take:

• Keep evidence of phone spam (e.g. itemized bills, received messages, screenshots).
• Contact your telephone operator to report the problem and request a refund of the undue charges.
• nearest police station
• Take legal action depending on the amount of damage suffered . You can go to the judicial court if the damage is less than 10,000 euros, to the specialized judicial court if the damage is more than 10,000 euros or to the criminal court if the damage is related to a criminal offense (for example, fraud).

What are the criminal offenses related to telephone spam?

spam can constitute a criminal offense depending on the nature and severity of the acts committed by the senders . Here are some examples of criminal offenses related to telephone spam:

• Abusive telephone solicitation : it can constitute an offence punishable by a fine of up to 75,000 euros for a natural person and 375,000 euros for a legal person if the sender has not complied with the Bloctel opt-out list or if the call was made in violation of the consumer code (for example outside of authorized hours).
• Voice spam : it can constitute fraud punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 375,000 euros if the sender has deceived the user about the nature of the service offered or the actual cost of the call.
• SMS spam : it can constitute a breach of confidentiality of correspondence punishable by a sentence of up to one year imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros if the sender has intercepted, diverted or fraudulently used the messages sent by the user.
• MMS spam : it can constitute an attack on automated data processing systems punishable by a sentence of up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 150,000 euros if the sender has fraudulently introduced a virus or malware into the user's mobile phone.

Summary table of telephone spam

Kind	Definition	Example	Advice
Abusive telemarketing	Repeated calls from companies offering products or services without having obtained the prior consent of the recipients.	“Hello, this is Julie from company X. I'm calling to offer you an exceptional deal on our new product range…”	Register on the Bloctel opt-out list and report spam numbers to 33700.
Voice spam	Calls that hang up as soon as you answer or that leave a voicemail urging you to call back a premium-rate number.	“You have received an important message from your bank. To listen to it, please dial 0899…”	Do not call back premium rate numbers and report spam numbers to 33700.
SMS spam	Unsolicited text messages that contain commercial offers, links to fraudulent sites, or codes to send back to a premium-rate number.	“Congratulations! You’ve won an iPhone 14! To receive it, text the code IPHONE to 81038.”	Do not reply to suspicious SMS messages and report spam numbers to 33700.
MMS Spam	Unsolicited multimedia messages that contain images, videos, or sounds. These messages may be infected with viruses or malware.	“Watch this incredible video! Click here to download it.”	Do not download suspicious attachments and report spam numbers to 33700.

FAQ about phone spam

Here are some frequently asked questions about phone spam and their answers:

Conclusion

Phone spam is a harmful practice that aims to solicit mobile phone users for advertising, commercial, or malicious purposes. It can take the form of unsolicited calls, SMS messages, or MMS messages, which can have detrimental consequences for users, such as harassment, fraud, theft of personal data, or overbilling.

To protect yourself from telephone spam , it is advisable not to give your mobile phone number to third parties without being sure of their reliability, to register on the Bloctel opt-out list, to use the filtering systems offered by your telephone operator, not to answer suspicious calls, SMS or MMS and to report spam numbers to 33700.

If you are a victim of telephone spam and have suffered harm, you can take legal action against the responsible senders by keeping evidence of the spam , contacting your telephone operator, filing a complaint with the relevant authorities and taking legal action depending on the amount of harm suffered.