How Text Message Spam Can Affect Your Pockets

The role of marketers is to ensure that their brand remains relevant in the eyes of the consumer. In this day and age, easing your foot off of the figurative marketing pedal can result in a competitor taking over the spotlight. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, marketers employ tactics they believe will keep them at the forefront of the industry and more importantly, convert to sales; even if that means breaking the law.

Email blasts were the original means of getting out a message to a targeted consumer group, but many entities have found text blasts to be more efficient — including scammers. Although illegal, telemarketers regularly send out unsolicited mass texts with the hopes of getting consumers to invest in their product or service or merely supply personal information. For unsuspecting consumers, this is not only annoying, but it can potentially affect your pockets.

3 Ways Text Message Spam Can Hurt You Financially

Like with any beneficial technology, there are those who use it for the right reasons and those who use it to conduct illegal activity. Scammers are a prime example of the latter. Not only do they illegally contact you but also attempt to collect your personal information to swindle you out of hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Here are a few ways legitimate and illegitimate entities can inflict financial damages through text message spam:

• Numerous text messages can lead to unwanted cell phone bill charges as companies often charge you for simply receiving a text.
• The text could ask you to provide personal information (bank account information, social security number, etc.) or entice you to click a link that installs malware on your device which can collect data from your phone to be used to commit fraud.
• Fraudulent debt collection texts often refer to actual debts but lead individuals to a phony third-party site that, when you make a payment, sends funds directly to the fraudsters.

Consumer Rights Regarding Text Messages

Although a majority of the text message spam in circulation is illegal, they commonly go unreported. The reason being is that individuals aren’t aware of what makes them illegal. Any unsolicited text message is forbidden. These are messages of which you did not provide your consent to receive. It is also unlawful for entities to use an automated telephone dialing system (ATDS) to text your phone. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) entitles you to between $500 and $1,000 per violation!

As with any regulation, there are exceptions. These are:

• Messages from an entity that has established a relationship with you
• Non-commercial messages including charitable fundraising messages and political surveys and many others

If you believe that you’ve been targeted by telemarketers or scammers using illegal tactics, reach out to a local consumer rights attorney immediately. The Florida TCPA lawyers at The Law Offices of Jibrael S. Hindi can evaluate potential violations and pursue necessary legal action on your behalf. Contact us today at 1-844-JIBRAEL for a free case evaluation.