Cell phone spam is a form of unsolicited communication for advertising, commercial, or malicious purposes . It can be in the form of SMS , MMS or telephone calls . Telephone spam can have harmful consequences for users, such as harassment, fraud, theft of personal data or overcharging.

In this article, find out how to protect yourself effectively.

How to protect yourself from telephone spam?

There are several ways to protect yourself from telephone 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 on the internet , in registration forms, competitions or social networks. You risk receiving unsolicited calls or messages from companies or people with malicious intent.

Register on the Bloctel opposition 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 go to the website www.bloctel.gouv.fr and enter your landline or mobile phone number.

Use the filtering systems offered by your telephone operator

Some operators offer the possibility of blocking calls from hidden , premium rate or unwanted numbers. You can also use an app dedicated to blocking unwanted calls, like Truecaller or Mr Number .

Do not respond to calls, SMS or MMS messages from which you do not know the sender or which seem suspicious to you

Do not call back premium rate numbers , send codes to toll numbers, or click on links to dubious websites. You may be the victim of a scam , theft of personal data or overcharging.

Do not download attachments contained in MMS messages whose sender you do not know or which seem suspicious to you

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

Report spam numbers to 33700

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

What are the types of phone spam?

There are several types of telephone spam, depending on the mode of communication and the objective of the senders. Here are the main ones:

• Abusive telephone canvassing : this involves repeated calls from companies offering products or services without having obtained the prior consent of the recipients. These calls can be made by humans or by voice bots.
• Voice spam : these are calls that hang up as soon as you pick up or leave a voice message asking you to call back a premium rate number. The aim is to charge the user additional fees or extract personal information.
• SMS spam : these are unsolicited text messages which contain commercial offers, links to fraudulent sites or codes to be sent to a paid number. The aim is also to charge the user additional fees or steal their personal data.
• MMS spam : these are unsolicited multimedia messages that contain images, videos or sounds. These messages may be infected with viruses or malware that can damage the cell phone or access the user's personal data.

How to recognize telephone spam?

It is not always easy to recognize telephone spam , as senders often use techniques to pass themselves off as legitimate callers . However, here are some clues that can help you identify telephone spam :

• The transmitter number is unknown, hidden or begins with an unusual prefix (e.g. 0899).
• The call is very short , hangs up immediately or leaves an incomprehensible or abnormal voice message.
• The SMS or MMS message contains spelling mistakes , generic terms (for example “dear customer”) or overly attractive offers (for example “ you have won a trip ”).
• The SMS or MMS message asks you to call back a premium rate number , send a code to a toll number or click on a link to a suspicious website.
• The SMS or MMS message contains an attachment that may be infected with a virus or malware.

What to do if you are a victim of phone spam?

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

• Keep evidence of phone spam (e.g. itemized bills, messages received, screenshots).
• Contact your telephone operator to report the problem and request reimbursement of undue charges.
• nearest police station You can also file a complaint online on the website-signalement.gouv.fr
• Take legal action based on the amount of the damage suffered . You can resort to the judicial court if the damage is less than 10,000 euros, to the specialized judicial court if the damage is greater than 10,000 euros or to the criminal court if the damage is linked to a criminal offense (for example fraud).

What are the criminal offenses related to telephone spam?

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

• Abusive telephone canvassing : it can constitute an infraction punishable by a fine of up to 75,000 euros for a natural person and 375,000 euros for a legal entity if the issuer has not complied with the Bloctel opposition list or if the call was made in violation of the consumer code (for example outside authorized hours).
• Voice spam : it can constitute a scam punishable by a penalty of up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 375,000 euros if the issuer misled the user about the nature of the service offered or the cost actual call.
• SMS spam : it can constitute an attack on the secrecy of correspondence punishable by a penalty of up to one year of 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 penalty of up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 150,000 euros if the issuer has fraudulently introduced a virus or software malicious in the user's cell phone.

Summary table of telephone spam

Kind	Definition	Example	Advice
Abusive telephone canvassing	Repeated calls from companies offering products or services without obtaining prior consent from recipients.	“Hello, it’s Julie from company X, I’m calling to offer you an exceptional offer on our new range of products…”	Register on the Bloctel opposition list and report spam numbers to 33700.
Voice spam	Calls that hang up as soon as you pick up or leave a voice message asking 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.
Text Spam	Unsolicited text messages that contain commercial offers, links to fraudulent sites or codes to be sent to a paid number.	"Congratulations ! You won an iPhone 14! To receive it, send the IPHONE code to 81038.”	Do not respond to suspicious text 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."	Do not download suspicious attachments and report spam numbers to 33700.

Phone Spam FAQ

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

Conclusion

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 or MMS which can have harmful consequences for users, such as harassment, fraud, theft of personal data or overcharging.

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

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