The robotexts problem, also known as spam texting, is a growing issue that has caught the attention of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Text messages have a higher open rate of 98% and response rate of 45% compared to emails, making them an attractive target for scammers. In 2020, scammers stole over $86 million through robotext fraud schemes with a median amount stolen from consumers at $800.
To combat this problem, the FCC has proposed new rules in their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR), including mandatory blocking of texts from invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers or numbers on a reasonable Do-Not-Originate (DNO) list. The NPR also questions whether spoofing is a problem and if call authentication (STIR/SHAKEN) should be used to authenticate the source of the text message.
However, there are distinctions between spoofing in voice calls and spoofing in text messages. In voice calls, it is possible to spoof the calling number, but in text messaging the anti-spoofing measures are in place, thus there is no spoofing of the originating number. This means that blocking invalid or unused numbers would not be effective in combatting the robotext problem.
Several organizations have commented on the NPR, stating that the messaging infrastructure is different from voice calls and that STIR/SHAKEN is unnecessary. They propose solutions such as enhanced information sharing, enforcement of existing rules, consumer education and supporting industry efforts, such as CTIA’s Messaging Security Best Practices.
Initiatives such as the IETF draft, Messaging Use Cases and Extensions for STIR, and the ATIS IPNNI group’s technical report on SMS Unwanted Message Mitigation Landscape are also underway to address the robotext problem. However, it is important to note that origination number spoofing is not an issue in the current U.S text messaging ecosystem.
Consumers can protect themselves from robotexts by not responding to unfamiliar numbers, being wary of unsolicited messages, and reporting any suspicious activity to the FCC. As the robotext problem continues to evolve, it is important for the industry and the government to work together to find effective solutions to protect consumers from spam texting fraud.
