Send the offending SMS spam to 7726
Steps
Time needed: 1 minute
7726 is a shortcode that accepts SMS spam reports in two steps.
- Send a copy of the spam text to 7726
First, you send a copy of the spam text to 7726. Please copy and paste the message into a new SMS message and send it.
- Wait for the reply
Wait a few seconds for your confirmation, and thanks. You are then prompted to reply with the originating number, shortcode, or sender ID.
- Send the offending number.
Copy the number from the Spam SMS, paste it into the reply, and press send.
- Wait for your reply
You will receive a final confirmation from your network provider for the report, noting any steps they will take.
Why 7726
But why did they choose the number 7726 as the number to send the spam to?
On an old phone, the dialing keypad would serve both numbers and letters. Each number (0-9) had a function of letters.
1 is often voicemail
2 is ABC
3 is DEF
4 is GHI
5 is JKL
6 is MNO
7 is PQRS
8 is TUV
9 is WXYZ
0 is the space bar
So if you type the numbers directly connected to the keys labeled S P A M, you dial 7 7 2 6.
Number to Letters
If the list above doesn’t make any sense, this may help you understand how one key can be a number and several letters simultaneously.
The letters are for SMS messages, so if you want to send an SMS message that says ‘SPAM,’ you need to tap the 7 key four times to get an ‘S.’ Then tap the 7 key once to get a ‘P,’ then the 2 key once to get an ‘A,’ and finally the 6 key once to get the letter ‘M’ on your screen.
Multi-tapping became second nature to early mobile phone users as all text entries, contact names, and SMS messages needed multitap letters.