According to spam text message and call blocking app Robokiller, the latest data shows that as of December 2025, Americans receive more than 642 million spam text messages every day. This means that approximately 7,431 phones in the United States are simultaneously ringing or ringing with these unwanted messages every second (1).
According to Pew Research, 61% of U.S. adults say they receive some type of scam or suspicious text message at least once a week, and 20% report receiving notifications every day(2).
And this high-tech plague isn’t getting any better. The development of artificial intelligence makes the generation of spam faster and easier. Although researchers are looking at a different medium (email rather than text), a Columbia University study found that 51% of spam in April 2025 was generated by artificial intelligence (3).
Unfortunately, since many of these messages are difficult to track, there’s little one can do except block those ever-changing spam numbers, text “stop” to unsubscribe (if possible), and keep the digital junk out of sight.
However, when the sender doesn’t hide their identity, the power shifts in favor of the smartphone owner—like a company sending you spam text messages about discounts or promotions.
If a business keeps texting people who have made it clear they want to back off, federal law gives consumers a way to fight back — and it could make you money.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was passed in 1991 to curb the proliferation of intrusive telemarketing and robocalls. Although smartphones were not yet on the market, courts and regulators have updated the law to clarify that spam text messages are treated the same as unsolicited phone calls (4).
Under the TCPA, businesses need your explicit permission to send marketing messages, and when you say so, they must stop.
Therefore, if you expressly indicate that you wish to opt-out, you have withdrawn that consent and any other marketing text will be unlawful.
This is where things get serious. Under the TCPA, businesses that continue to text you after you click “Stop” may be required to pay you for each message they send. The law allows consumers to recover up to $500 per illegal text message, and if people can prove that the company knew what it was doing and ignored “stop” requests, the maximum amount could increase to $1,500 per text message(5).
TCPA cases are often filed as class actions, so a single lawsuit can cover thousands or even millions of people who have received the same illegal text messages.
You probably know some of the big-name brands that have had to pay for spam text messages in recent years. One of the largest TCPA cases was against the credit card company Capital One, which paid $75.5 million in 2014 to settle allegations that it used autodialers and prerecorded messages to call consumers’ cell phones(6).
Most recently, popular fintech app Cash App paid a $12.5 million settlement to resolve allegations that it sent text message marketing messages without user consent between 2019 and 2023.
This sounds like a lot, but keep in mind the number of users affected. For example, in the case of Cash App, the average payout ranged from $88 to $147(7).
While no one is going to turn down an extra $88, the only way to get full compensation from these unsolicited spam messages is to work with an attorney.
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Whenever a business ignores your request to withdraw, you can turn this violation into serious money if you take the right steps and persevere.
Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about scammers’ text messages. Under the TCPA, you must sue a reputable company, such as a retailer, that continues to spam you after you opt out of their text messages.
You need to clearly tell the relevant company that you do not wish to receive these spam emails by clicking the “Stop” or “Unsubscribe” button and not participating further. Even debt collectors must abide by do-not-call requirements.
Next, make a habit of saving anything the company subsequently sends you. Don’t just delete these messages, but take a screenshot showing the phone number, date and time, and your opt-out response. Each of these unwanted texts may be considered a separate TCPA violation, so the temporary inconvenience of taking up some memory space is worth it.
As you gather this evidence, find a consumer rights attorney in your area who has a good record and, if possible, TCPA experience. Because TCPA cases can bring statutory damages of up to $1,500 per text (although in practice they are often lower) with no cap, many attorneys investigate these cases without any upfront fees, which attorneys refer to as “contingency”(8).
But even if you don’t file the lawsuit yourself, you may be entitled to funds from a large settlement, such as that from Capitol One or Cash App. If any text messages you received match the time period and company involved, filing a claim can make it easy for you to receive compensation. You can find the public class action lawsuit at ClassAction.org (9).
Start seeing these spam messages as treasure rather than junk. When a business ignores your request to leave, they may be giving you an opportunity to make money.
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Killer Robots (1); Pew Research Center (2); Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Internet Measurement Conference (3); Consumer Action (4); RKL LLP (5); Top Class Actions (6); Top Class Actions (7); ClassAction.org (8); ClassAction.org (9)
This article provides information only and should not be considered advice. It is provided without any warranty of any kind.
