Published February 10, 2026

You are minding your own business when your phone buzzes. It is a text from a number you do not recognize: "Congratulations! You have been pre-approved for a $50,000 loan..."

Most people delete it and move on. But here is what you should do instead — because that text could be worth real money to you.

Spam Texts Are Illegal

Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), companies cannot send you automated or bulk text messages without your prior express consent. This applies to:

• Marketing texts from companies you never signed up with
• Automated texts about products, services, or offers
• Political campaign texts sent via autodialer
• Debt collection texts sent to the wrong person

Each illegal text is a separate violation — worth $500 to $1,500.

Step-by-Step: What to Do Right Now

1. Do Not Delete It

Your first instinct might be to delete the message. Do not. That text is evidence. Keep it in your messages.

2. Screenshot Everything

Take a screenshot of the text message, including the phone number it came from, the date and time, and the full content of the message. If there are multiple messages, screenshot all of them.

3. Do Not Reply "STOP" Yet

While replying STOP is your right, doing so before documenting the violation could complicate your claim. Document first, then opt out.

4. Log It in RoboHero

Open your RoboHero dashboard and log the violation. Select "TEXT" as the violation type, enter the phone number, and upload your screenshots. The whole process takes about 60 seconds.

5. Check for Repeat Offenders

Is this the first text from this number, or have they texted you before? Multiple texts from the same company means multiple violations — and your claim gets stronger with each one.

How Much Could Your Claim Be Worth?

Here is a quick example: if a company sent you 5 spam texts over the past month, that is 5 violations at $500 each = $2,500 in potential damages. If they sent those texts after you asked them to stop, it is $1,500 each = $7,500.

This is not hypothetical. People collect these amounts every day.