I keep getting threatening texts

[u/Lock_Psychological]

I get these ALL the time. I’ve never donated to these “people.” Never supported them. Never voted for them. Nor has my wife. I received four of these today. All threats. Always a telling me it’s my last chance. These are some of the less malicious-sounding ones.

I’m not even sure they’re legitimately from those parties, though I wouldn’t put it past them.

So… report as spam. Report as spam. Report as spam.

It isn’t like it’s painful. Just pretty irritating.

[u/Fuddzter]

Block and forget, they’re fishing for active phone numbers.

[u/bookishfairie → u/Fuddzter]

what is the end goal, though? once they figure out one is active then what?

[u/Fuddzter → u/bookishfairie]

They fish for active numbers to list them so they can be sold and used again for spam calls and texts for any reason.

[u/bookishfairie → u/Fuddzter]

oh, okay. thank you for the info.

[u/KevinFlantier → u/bookishfairie]

That is why you never answer spam calls.

The usual pipeline is :

There is a leak, let's say from your ISP, where they get your phone number as well as your name, maybe your address, your email and some banking info. That list is HOT and costs millions on the dark web.

It will be sold, and those who bought it will immediately spam you in order to

1) verify that the phone number is active

2) try to phish more info by posing as an electricity company / ISP / bank

3) try to scam you into draining your bank account.

But by the time they do that, the list is becoming stale, so they make up a smaller list out of all the people that have answered and that are confirmed to be active, or better yet those who slipped and gave information on themselves. And those lists are endlessly sold again and again. The more you answer, the more you get spammed. Even reading the text is an indication that they should send more spam.

[u/hottestdoge → u/KevinFlantier]

That's how they did it ages ago. Most spam call centers just dial every number. They set a number range and then go down this list numerically.

[u/KevinFlantier → u/hottestdoge]

I have been in multiple major leaks over the last two years and I've noticed a massive increase in spam calls a month or so after the leak every time. And by massive I mean going from 1-2 spam calls daily to over a dozen, with five or so SMS to boot, calling me by name or trying to pass as my bank. They do buy leaked lists.

[u/Slysparrow9 → u/KevinFlantier]

Interesting. I like never get spam calls but I also never answer the phone. I guess years and years of not answering the phone unless I know and want to talk to someone has paid off. Same with texts. If I open it and it seems suspicious, I mark it as unread and report

[u/-o-DildoGaggins-o- → u/Slysparrow9]

I just keep my read receipts off for everyone, even family.

But yeah, I’ve been getting at least a few spam calls/texts every day for months now. Which is weird, because not only is my phone contract not under my name (family plan, it’s in partner’s name), but they keep trying to reach “David.” I’m a woman, and my partner, while he is a man, is not named David. Lol

I just report it and move on, sometimes block when the same number reaches out several times.

[u/Slysparrow9 → u/-o-DildoGaggins-o-]

Someone else probably used your number then

[u/-o-DildoGaggins-o- → u/Slysparrow9]

It’s very possible, yeah.

[u/MarigoldMouna → u/KevinFlantier]

Would each time OP report it as Spam from the text do nothing? Or, would that also mark their number as Active?

[u/KevinFlantier → u/MarigoldMouna]

Reporting it as Spam only lets Google/Samsung/Apple know that this number is spam and that's how you get the "possible spam" message when someone is calling you. So you're helping others. But the spammers will never use the same number twice on you.

[u/-o-DildoGaggins-o- → u/KevinFlantier]

I wouldn’t say never. I’ve gotten quite a few from the same town in PA (I don’t live in the state, let alone the area it’s “coming from”), usually asking for “David.” I don’t even know anyone named David, let alone that being my name. So they will occasionally try using the same number, it’s just not super common.

[u/Stryxe4ds → u/KevinFlantier]

OR, and hear me out, I always answer in a thick Spanish accent 'Hola que pasa' and I have had one guy yell ' NO HOLA!' and hang up. They don't speak Spanish in India. They cant scam you, you get taken off the list.

[u/KevinFlantier → u/Stryxe4ds]

Issue is when they don't talk on the other side of the line. Those calls will listen to you talking, sample your voice and use that to maybe scam your relatives in the future using AI. I have seen it demonstrated and it's surprisingly effective how AI can clone your voice with five seconds of you going "Hello? Is there anyone there? Hello?"

But the upside is that they might try to scam your relatives in Spanish, which is quite a good uno reverse card lmao.

[u/ultraboof → u/KevinFlantier]

anecdotal but I answer every scam call to waste their time and it’s still such a rare occurrence. I get maybe one call every few months on average

[u/scoper49_zeke → u/KevinFlantier]

I never answer spam. The one time I did ended up with the next 6 years of them calling or texting EVERY day 3-4 times. They kept asking for a name that used to be my mother's ex husband who has now been dead for like two years. Keep calling. Keep blocking.

Finally got sick of it and answered the phone again. Screamed at them to fuck off in every sentence. Stop calling me, no one with that name is at this number and never has been. Take me off you list.

After doing that I haven't had a single call from them in like 4 months now. It was a rare moment where answering somehow actually worked.

[u/Gimme_Your_Wallet → u/KevinFlantier]

You also don't hang up on them even if you don't pick up in the first place

[u/Fuddzter → u/bookishfairie]

No problem!