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FTC cracks down on text spammers

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Ever received a text message offering a free gift card or prize? Seem to good to be true? It is. Text spamming is the practice of sending consumers unwanted messages that send you to bogus websites and it's on the rise.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has come down hard on spam texters and the website owners who pay their salaries. These spammers, also called "affiliate marketers," bombard consumers with hundreds of millions of unwanted spam text messages in an effort to steer them towards websites falsely promising “free” gift cards.

In eight different complaints filed in courts around the United States, the FTC charged 29 defendants with collectively sending more than 180 million unwanted text messages to consumers, many of whom had to pay for receiving the texts. The messages promised consumers free gifts or prizes, including gift cards worth $1,000 to major retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart and Target. Consumers who clicked on the links in the messages found themselves caught in a confusing and elaborate process that required them to provide sensitive personal information, apply for credit or pay to subscribe to services to get the supposedly “free” cards.

The bottom line? Never open the links in these messages - they are scams to get you to enter your personal information, which is then sold to third party marketers. Delete them immediately.

To file a complaint with the FTC, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).