[Updated] T-Mobile scam group text (Free message: Your bill is paid for March) troubles users, here's how to block or stop on Android/iOS devices

Here’s the crux of the article in video form:

New updates are being added to the bottom of the story…

Original story (from April 09, 2022) follows:

Founded in 1999, T-Mobile is a German telecommunication giant that operates in several countries around the globe. In the US, the company generated more than $68 billion in revenue and has more than 104 million subscribers in the country.

The network also has strong 5G coverage throughout the US. However, the company is facing class-action lawsuits after the data breach that happened in August last year.

Adding to the trouble, many T-Mobile subscribers say they are getting spam messages in group texts claiming their bill for the month of March has been paid along with a phishing link (1,2,3,4,5).

You can see in the image below what the spam message looks like.

For some reason over the past week I’ve been getting alot of spam text messages. I’m using Google messages and it looks like the system is detecting these messages and automatically moving them to the spam & block section of Google messages. The thing is that I don’t want to receive a text notification everytime a spam message comes through and is blocked. I’ve never experienced this with Samsung messages and it just started happening with Google messages. Is there a way to disable notifications for spam messages?
(Source)

The spam text messages are relentless. I am getting spam texts 10 times a day and they are coming from an email address. And now the past 2 days I have been getting numerous group spam texts which are even more infuriating because people start replying to it and now I have a near constant feed of texts coming in from people I don’t know and spammers…
(Source)

Many subscribers seem to be frustrated by the constant ‘Free Message: Your bill is paid for March’ scam and are wondering how they can put an end to the T-Mobile spam text problem.

For those using Google Messages and are unsure how to block group text on Android, follow the steps mentioned below to stop notifications upon filtering spam messages.

Tap and hold Google Messages App. Tap the “i” icon. Tap notifications > notification categories > turn “spam protection” off. This will stop the app from notifying you that spam messages were sent to the spam section of the app.
(Source)

In case you own an iOS device and want to know how to block mass text on iPhone, try forwarding the messages to 7726 and notify T-Mobile about the same. You can also block the sender and leave and delete the group to prevent further interaction.

Hey! You can report spam by forwarding the entire message to 7726. The information you send to 7726 may be shared with government agencies and others that work to combat spam and prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair practices. Reporting spam and p… https://t-mo.cc/jkx63xj2qy
(Source)

We hope T-Mobile soon finds out a way to block these scam text messages. Rest assured, we will be keeping tabs on further development on the matter and update this space as and when required so stay tuned.

01:20 pm (IST): T-Mobile has a dedicated page on SMS spam wherein the company explains the steps you should take if you receive spam text messages on your phone. You can access the page by heading here.

10:50 am (IST): A T-Mobile employee has alleged that this is a known issue that is affecting all the carriers. Also, some users (1, 2) are replying to this message with ‘Stop’ to get rid of it, which isn’t helpful at all.

09:20 am (IST): Android users can report this message as spam with the help of the steps mentioned on Google’s official page.

Or you can just follow the following steps suggested by one of the affected users:

– Do not reply to the text.

– Forward every text to 7726 (SPAM)

Or

– (Android only) In Google Messages, hold down on the convo, click “Block” and make sure to check “Report Spam”, then hit OK. (Source)

10:49 am (IST): FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has now posted an article telling users what to do if they get such scam messages. You can read the full article here.

09:37 am (IST): The affected users can also report these scam messages on Google’s official phishing page.

10:23 am (IST): Scam Shield app of T-Mobile protects users from spam and scam calls. Thus, users can install this app to block and report these spam messages.

09:42 am (IST): T-Mobile support on Twitter has now confirmed that they have detected a new spam attack. Moreover, they are working to update their filters block texts with known malicious links.

As we detect new spam attacks, we’re updating our filters to block texts with known malicious links. Don’t click on the links or reply to a group thread that continues people you do not know and please report spam by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM). ^MarcieRivas (Source)

09:55 am (IST): T-Mobile is now suggesting the affected users to enable the Scam Block feature. To enable that, users will have to dial #662# on their phones.

09:46 am (IST): A user pointed out that T-Mobile or any other carrier doesn’t send messages from a 10-digit number. So, users should keep this in mind to differentiate between spam and a genuine text message.

10:29 am (IST): Government has reportedly issued a warning against the scam which is targeting T-Mobile users.

While New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) alleged that this scam is a result of the earlier data breaches, T-Mobile has denied the allegation. Moreover, the carrier is filtering out the text with malicious links. More on that here.

09:36 am (IST): A user has now shared another scam message that says ‘Your card has been blocked’ along with a phishing link.

04:07 pm (IST): One of the affected users suggested reporting spam messages on LawHQ. It is a free service for reporting spam to be used as evidence to sue spammers.

09:26 am (IST): Users are now reporting another scam message on T-Mobile that says the network is providing $300 as a COVID-19 relief bonus for all customers.

01:16 pm (IST): A T-Mobile moderator has pinned a PSA on Reddit. It says that T-Mobile uses t-mo.co in the URL and any other text claiming that you won a prize is fake.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated T-Mobile Section so be sure to follow them as well.

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