A spam text is best handled in two moves: report it so AT&T can act, and keep the calls that usually arrive from the same operations under control. This guide follows AT&T's own instructions as published on its support pages: the 7726 short code, the abuse@att.net email path, outside reporting channels AT&T recommends, and the blocking tools AT&T points to.
Don't reply first
AT&T's guidance on unwanted messages warns against replying to spam, because a reply confirms your number is active - exactly what a spammer wants to know. The same article's rule applies to links: leave them alone.
Forward the message to 7726
7726 spells SPAM on a phone keypad, and it is the number AT&T gives for reporting unwanted texts: as AT&T's support article puts it, text the message on your wireless phone to 7726 (SPAM) so that AT&T can investigate. AT&T notes that messages forwarded to 7726 are free for AT&T customers and don't count toward your text plan.
When the sender's number is hidden
Some spam arrives from email addresses or short codes where no ordinary phone number is visible. AT&T's fraud-reporting article covers this case: if you can't view the number, email the entire message to abuse@att.net. The same article also suggests forwarding suspicious texts to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org and reporting fraud to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Blocking the sender
AT&T's support article on unwanted calls and messages points first to your phone's built-in blocking, then to AT&T's own tools. Per AT&T, the ActiveArmor mobile security app goes beyond blocking fraud and spam calls: you can add numbers to a personal block list, and numbers on that list remain blocked until you remove them. AT&T also reminds customers that the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry can reduce calls from lawful telemarketers - it does not reach scammers who ignore the law.
What reporting does and does not do
Forwarding a message to 7726 hands the evidence to AT&T so it can investigate. What AT&T's pages do not describe is an on-the-spot block of the sender, which is why the same articles pair reporting with device blocking and the ActiveArmor block list. Treat reporting as feeding the carrier's spam analysis, and blocking as protecting your own line.
Where FilterMyCalls fits
Reporting a spam text to AT&T is the text-side of the routine. FilterMyCalls is focused on calls: it is an AI call screener and spam blocker that answers unknown callers before your phone rings, asks each caller for their name and reason for calling, and shows you the response so you can answer, decline, or take a message. Setup uses conditional call forwarding, so you keep the number and the carrier you already have.
FilterMyCalls works on iPhone and Android in the U.S. and Canada for US$8/month or US$80/year, and CA$10/month or CA$100/year in Canada. 24/7 Customer Service is included.
How to report a spam text to AT&T
- 1Leave the message alone
Per AT&T, don't reply to spam - replying confirms your number is active - and don't tap any links in the message.
- 2Forward the text to 7726
Send the spam text to 7726 (SPAM) so AT&T can investigate. AT&T notes forwarded texts are free and don't count toward your text plan.
- 3Use abuse@att.net when the number is hidden
If the sender's number isn't visible - for example, the text arrived from an email address - AT&T asks you to email the entire message to abuse@att.net.
- 4Add outside reports for phishing
AT&T's fraud article also suggests forwarding the text to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org and reporting it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- 5Block the sender
Use your phone's built-in blocking, or in AT&T ActiveArmor add the number to your personal block list, where AT&T says numbers stay blocked until you remove them.
Common Questions
Is forwarding a spam text to 7726 free on AT&T?
Yes. AT&T says text messages forwarded to 7726 are free for AT&T customers and don't count toward your text plan.
What happens after I forward the message?
Your report reaches AT&T for investigation - the support article's instruction is to text the message to 7726 (SPAM) so that AT&T can investigate. AT&T pairs reporting with blocking on your device or in ActiveArmor, since forwarding is described as an investigative report, not a block.
What is AT&T ActiveArmor?
ActiveArmor is AT&T's mobile security app. Per AT&T's support article, it goes beyond blocking fraud and spam calls: you can add numbers to a personal block list, and those numbers remain blocked until you remove them.
What if the spam text came from an email address or a code with no number?
AT&T's fraud-reporting article covers exactly this: if you can't view the sender's number, email the entire message to abuse@att.net.
Should I reply STOP to a spam text?
AT&T warns that replying to spam confirms your number is active. Reserve replies for legitimate senders you recognize and that provide a working opt-out; for anything suspicious, report it to 7726 and delete it without responding.
Official sources
Keep reading
What happens, step by step, when a call reaches your screening line.
A simple routine for handling calls from numbers you do not recognize.
The difference between the two, and why screening helps you handle both more calmly.
How FilterMyCalls works for people in the United States and Canada.
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