Did you know there is a way to trace who is sending you spam SMSs?

Did you know there is a way to trace who is sending you spam SMSs?

Does your phone inbox get an influx of spam messages? Well, there is a way to find out who it is that is spamming you...

You can check who sent you spam messages
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We've all fallen victim to those "spammy" calls that come at the worst time, and then when you do answer, you literally want to pull your hair out because it's a pre-recorded marketing call that starts with "Good day...Press 1..." 

We are not against marketing calls, because there are those odd moments where you find a good match with what they are offering. However, when it comes to the high levels of spam making the rounds, we get a bit suspicious and defensive. 

When it comes to SMS spam messages, it can be trickier to filter, as many times there isn't a set standard of what to expect. The level of scams are getting more and more advanced so you can never be too sure. 

So when we heard about this new feature put forward by the Wireless Application Service Providers Associations, also known as WASPA, we thought it important to share with you. 

"WASPA has launched a new feature to identify the owner of a short code, long code or USSD code – and so track down the sender of unsolicited commercial messages," Business Insider reports.

The project is an extension to the Do Not Contact (DNC) initiative, which allows users to register their information so that they can stop legitimate operators from sharing marketing SMSes with you. 

The service requires businesses and mobile service providers to register with them, private users don't need to register though. 

"To check who the owner of a short code, long code or USSD code is, users need to visit the WASPA Codes Platform," Business Insider adds.

We tried out one of the marketing SMSes we have received and you will see below that it was from a registered service provider. 

How to check if the spam SMS is legit or not
WASPA website/https://codes.waspa.org.za/
How to check if the spam SMS is legit or not
WASPA website/https://codes.waspa.org.za/
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Image Courtesy of iStock

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