Have you received a message from a wrong number? Don't respond. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently warned of a rise in “wrong number” texts. RoboKiller estimates that Americans received over 12 billion robo-texts.
If you do get a message that might be suspicious, even ones that say you can text STOP to end the communications, the FCC says to not respond, and block any messages that come in, and the related phone numbers or emails. Additionally, FCC provides these tips to protect yourself and your private information.
“Sorry but you have the wrong number.” Be upfront with the sender to avoid more accidental texts. Let the sender know you're not who they think you are immediately. This is a polite way to tell a stranger they've got the wrong number.
And while they may seem mildly annoying at best, officials warn that you should never reply to a wrong number text as a matter of your own safety. Read on to see why it's best to leave these random messages unanswered. READ THIS NEXT: Never Do This With Your Phone in Public, FBI Warns.
In a word: no. You can't get hacked by simply answering your phone. However, you can fall prey to “vishing”—which is the verbal equivalent of “phishing.” Here, again, the intent is to create a sense of urgency, so you do not have time to sit back and think.
Like phishing emails, smishing texts are social-engineering scams that aim to manipulate people into turning over sensitive data such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and account passwords or providing access to a business's computer system.
At its worst, the scammer asks for personal information or compromising photos. Thereafter, the texter may attempt to blackmail you into sending them money or more sensitive information. Whatever the method may be, do not respond to any unsolicited messages from phone numbers you do not recognize.
This leaves us in the unfortunate position of having to decide for ourselves, on a case-by-case basis, whether ignoring a text is fair or foul. And so we kind of end up where we've started: Yup, ignoring texts is rude. But there are lots of reasons to do so that may leave one without fault.
Ignoring or excluding someone activates the same receptors in the brain that trigger a pain response, both to physical and emotional pain, and leave lasting psychological scars, disfiguring your mental state, your self-esteem, and your ability to recognize a healthy, open relationship.
Don't “click” open links in unsolicited text messages. Clicking the link may infect your mobile device with a virus or malware designed to steal the personal or financial information stored on the device. Don't call a telephone number listed in an unsolicited text message.
Ignore and delete all suspicious text messages, emails, or calendar invites. Phishing emails and smishing texts via SMS or WhatsApp are among the most common types of fraud. Your iPhone could be hacked if you reply, call the numbers, or click on any malicious links.
It's impossible to get hacked by simply answering a phone call made through your network service provider.
PhishLabs warns that replying to a phishing email, even if you know it's a scam, can lead to further attacks. Most phishing campaigns are automated and replying to them puts you on a scammer's radar. PhishLabs stresses that these people are criminals, and that they can be vindictive or even dangerous.
Anyone, not just hackers, can use spyware
One popular app, mSpy, monitors text messages, calls, and social media interactions. The app can be installed remotely on an iPhone if you have the proper iCloud credentials. For Android phones, someone will need physical access to install it.
One of the best ways to determine if your iPhone is hacked is to run a malware scan. Antivirus apps for iOS are quite limited as Apple's operating system does not allow them to access areas of the device where malware typically hides.
Hopefully this has helped to reassure you that it is not possible for someone to hack your phone with just your number. However, phone hacking is a real threat and there are many other ways for hackers to gain access.
Assuming you're talking about SMS messaging, only if that someone happens to have access to your cellular provider's logs. Otherwise, no, someone can't track your location from a text. That changes if you're talking about other messaging formats.
What is SMS malware? In essence, SMS malware is any malicious software delivered to victims by text messaging. While malware may be delivered to mobile devices via email and many other means, SMS malware is promoted by a text.
Because text messaging cannot accurately convey tone, emotion, facial expressions, gestures, body language, eye contact, oral speech, or face-to-face conversation, it is likely messages will be misinterpreted or misunderstood. The real meaning of your message gets lost through the medium.
Being ignored. Blocking signals that they are upset with you and are avoiding you. But if they ignore you it just feels like it's because they just don't care. With ignoring it's like hurtful indifference or just plain being cruel on purpose.
It can cause emotional trauma.
A person who is ignored feels a wide range of confusing emotions. They may feel anger, sadness, frustration, guilt, despair, and loneliness, all at once. Naturally, such emotional confusion can have a damaging effect on your psyche.
The word for this is ostracism (exclusion, banishment). The psychology behind the silent treatment is that it can be a mind game for some people and, in some cases, can be used as a form of manipulation. Along with the emotional roller-coaster, it tears down your sense of self-esteem and sense of self-worth.