Motivations Behind SMS Spam

"This is like the telephone problem - no one wants to have the first one. But we are seeing a lot of people who want some sort of technology to solve the spam problem." ~ Eric Allman

"I get more spam than anyone I know." ~ Bill Gates

I, like many others, receive SMS spam daily. I use a Google Pixel phone, and its Google AI spam detector constantly catches junk SMS and notifies me. It is helpful to use Signal Messenger for most of my messaging needs. SMS spam, or unsolicited text messages, is a widespread issue driven by various harmful and unethical motives. Financial gain is the primary driver, with scammers using tactics such as phishing and premium-rate number scams to defraud victims. Additionally, spam is used for advertising, lead generation, and malware distribution, often without user consent.

SMS spam is not just about financial exploitation. It serves multiple shady purposes, including spreading misinformation, facilitating identity theft, and harassing individuals. Beyond these, spammers use these messages to validate phone numbers, expand contact lists, and conduct social engineering attacks. Furthermore, spam can be utilized for blackmail, extortion, and the spread of ransomware. The issue concerns the messages we receive and the complex web of activities and intentions behind them.

Sending mass text messages is an effortlessly achievable and cost-effective method for nefarious individuals or organizations to reach large audiences, making SMS spam an efficient and prevalent issue. This problem is further fuelled by the exploitation of compromised systems and vulnerabilities.

Unwanted SMS spam messages have widespread negative effects on individuals, businesses, communities, and societies. Companies like Google, Apple, and other communication businesses must develop robust strategies to minimize these disruptive effects and ensure the security of text communications.