Where Can You Sign Up a Number for Spam Calls

How do you sign up for spam calls? This question may come out of curiosity or when you want to prank a loved one. Here, we will talk about the common ways people get signed up for spam calls, whether accidentally or intentionally. This article also discusses the legalities surrounding adding someone’s phone number to get spam calls. 

What Are Spam Calls, Spam Texts, and Spam Emails? 

A Spam call, text, or email is an unsolicited message sent to someone without their consent. These messages, calls, or emails may advertise products or services. But, they can also be designed to steal personal information through phishing attempts. These calls, texts, or emails often offer scams with unrealistic returns or rewards. Overall, they are usually a nuisance. And when their intent is scams or phishing attempts, they can cause a security risk. 

Is It Illegal to Sign Someone up for Spam?

Under U.S. law (such as the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003), it is illegal to sign someone up for spam or other forms of unsolicited messages without their consent. Violating the law can result in significant fines and other penalties. If the calls, texts, or emails the victims receive contain aggressive or threatening messages, they can be classified as harassment which means criminal charges. However, most spam situations lead to civil penalties and steep fines. So, you should always seek express consent before signing someone up for anything. 

How to Sign Someone up for Spam Calls

Generally, you can directly or indirectly add a phone number to get spam calls. Signing up indirectly often involves activities we carry out without understanding their implications such as placing ads on social media with our personal phone numbers. Others involve deliberately signing up to get spam calls. Let’s talk about all the different ways how to sign someone up for spam calls.

Automatic Number Identification or ANI

You can use the Automatic Number Identification to anonymously sign someone up for spam. This means finding a list of Telemarketers in your location and then dialing their numbers from the target phone number. For instance, if a Telemarketers number is like 900, or 888 in your locality from the target number. The number gets captured immediately and stored by the Automatic Number Identification System. This means Telemarketers in that area now have access to that phone number. 

Sign Up for Free Trials and Surveys

Sometimes, research companies offer surveys, panels, and free trials to the public. Usually, their goal is to access information that can aid them persuade more people to purchase their products and services. If you provide your phone number in that survey, then you’ve added the phone number to get spam calls from their telemarketers. In the future, they can simply use their auto-dialing software to call the phone numbers on their list. 

Signing Up for Untrustworthy Websites

Some certain websites can also be used to sign up someone for spam calls. Such websites often offer a series of free trials of their products and services and ask for your information such as phone numbers and emails in exchange. Once they get your phone number after you’ve signed up, they might call or send text messages in the future. 

Post Public Listings

Posting a phone number publically is almost as good as signing someone up for spam phone calls. Let’s say you post an online ad with a target phone number, telemarketers and other people can be attracted to it. So, they might try to call that number. Spaces where you are likely to attract spam calls include Meta and Craigslist. 

Social Media Leaks

Having an account on any of the social media networks brings a remarkable amount of exposure and visibility to your doorstep. So, when you publish that person’s phone number on any of the popular social networks, you might as well have signed them up for spam calls or texts. The most effective are X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. 

How to Sign Someone up for Spam Texts

What if you wanted to sign someone up for spam texts? Below are the two most effective ways to do that. As said before, always pay attention to the legal consequences before you sign up for spam calls or texts.

Online Sign-Up Forms

Companies often offer online forms, where you subscribe by providing details such as your email or phone number. If you do so with someone’s phone number, you might be signing them up to receive spam texts. 

Prank-based websites

There are websites dedicated to enabling you to set up custom prank texts to your friends and family. Here are the popular ones to sign someone up for junk texts.

• Spoofbox.com: Spoofbox.com allows you to send a prank text to any phone number. The website works globally, but you might have to pay for the text to be sent.
• Easyprank.com: Easyprank.com also allows you to send prank calls to people you know. But note that Easyprank.com won’t keep your phone number hidden. They are reputable because they don’t offer malicious content.
• MessageBomber: MessageBomber is also a prank-based website that you can set up to send prank messages or prank calls to your loved ones. However, it’s also a paid site and you can only send it to people in the U.S. and Canada.

How to Sign Someone up for Spam Emails

Emails are one of the popular ways of receiving spam content. However, as with other techniques, always check your legal implications before you sign up for spam calls. Here are some ways to sign someone up for junk email.

Signing Up on Untrusted Websites

Signing up on untrusted websites is one of the ways to sign someone up for junk mail. These websites often have security leaks that telemarketers and malicious agents might take advantage of. Signing up on adult websites, gambling websites, and websites with content about college information are such occasions that can increase instances of spam interactions. 

Participating in chain emails

An email chain is a series of email messages exchanged between two or more individuals. Sometimes family members or work colleagues create these chain emails to be able to send specific information to a group of people at the same time. These types of email interactions can create loopholes, where people who don’t belong to the group join up to access the emails and addresses of other people to send spam emails to them. So, signing up someone to chain emails can increase their exposure to spam interactions. 

Publicly Posting the Email

Publicly posting their email on forums, social media platforms or even Facebook groups can increase the risks of spam interactions. Once you post their email publicly, other people including telemarketers and spammers might be drawn to calling that phone number. 

Consequences of Signing Someone Up for Spam Calls, Texts, or Emails

Here are the scenarios that can happen when you sign someone up for spam phone calls, or texts, or junk emails. 

• Legal penalties: In the US, signing up someone for spam calls or texts can lead to legal consequences.
• Financial loss: Spam texts, calls, or emails might attempt to blackmail or extract personal information that can cause financial loss.
• Emotional distress: Signing up someone for spam calls or texts can lead to aggressive, or threatening messages being sent to them. Victims can also feel overwhelmed or harassed by the constant notifications.
• Blocked communication: Spamming might cause victims to put up spam filters like call-blocking apps that may hinder legitimate communications from reaching them.
• Damaged relationships: Signing up someone for spam calls or texts can potentially destroy your relationship with them.
• Malware and phishing risks: When you sign up for spam emails, you might expose yourself to messages containing malicious links or attachments.

How to Protect Yourself from Spam Calls, Texts or Emails

So what can you do to safeguard against spam calls, or texts, or junk emails? Here are the most effective ways to do so. 

• Don’t publish your details: Avoid publishing your personal phone number or emails in ads, public profiles, social media posts, or on forums.
• Be wary of signing up on websites: Always sign up on reputable websites. If possible have a separate email for signing up to receive surveys and freebies.
• Register your number: If you live in the US, you could register your phone number or landline number on the FTC’s Do Not Call List. This can help reduce unwanted calls, although it may not thoroughly eliminate them.
• Validate number: Use online tools like MLocator reverse phone lookup to find the identity of who’s calling you via that phone number to help you unravel if they are scammers/spammers.

• Silence unknown callers: Your phone might have a feature that allows you to silence unknown calls. This is usually under Settings >Phone> Silence Unknown Calls> On/Off
• Block the scammer: if a scammer calls you, block them via your smartphone’s native feature, to stop them calling you back. This follows the process: Settings >Phone> Blocked Contacts> Add New
• Use call-blocking tools: Consider activating call-blocking features using a reputable call-blocking app. This will help you screen your calls and texts.
• Never engage: When you suspect calls, texts, or emails from unknown numbers, avoid engaging them. Scammers often use reverse engineering tactics that can have you unveiling your details the longer the communication gets.

FAQ

How can I recognize a spam email or text?

Spam emails or texts often have unusual sender addresses that often don’t match the sender’s name. They also contain urgent requests, sometimes grammar or spelling errors, and unfamiliar links. Be cautious about messages that urge you to take action immediately. And avoid clicking on links in texts or emails from senders you don’t know.

What apps can help prevent spam calls and texts?

There are many apps available to help block and identify spam calls and texts. Some popular ones include Call Bliss, Robo Killer, Hiya and Truecaller. These apps often offer features like call blocking, caller ID, spam reporting and call recording. 

Can signing up for services online lead to spam calls or texts?

Yes, signing up for services online can sometimes lead to spam texts or calls. When you provide your phone number or email, it can be shared or sold to third parties that send you unsolicited communication. Always read the terms of service and privacy policy before signing up on any website. 

What to do if I answer a spam call?

If you accidentally answer a spam call, do not engage and hang up immediately. Avoid providing any information or even confirming your identity. Instead, find out more about the unknown caller using a reverse lookup service like MLocator and possibly report the phone number online. 

What’s the difference between spam and legitimate marketing emails?

Legitimate marketing emails usually provide valuable information or offers that are relevant to you. They would also explicitly ask for your consent to send marketing emails to you. And they usually have opt-out options like an unsubscribe button which they add to every correspondence so you can opt out of future communications at any time. 

Wrap Up

Now you know all the remarkable ways to sign up for spam calls. However, always remember that signing up someone for spam can be a bad idea since it’s potentially illegal and can have serious consequences. Beyond that, the information we’ve shared can also help protect you and others from becoming victims of spam or scams.