Design for Better — Unknown Contact Warning
“Design for Better” is a series that addresses overlooked issues through fresh design approaches that could help millions of people.
The problem
Spam texting to phish for information is an uphill battle. Even if you report one number, two more come through. If you don’t reply, scammers may still recognize it’s a valid number and continue their attempts to target you.
With automation and AI, the issue is worsening and becoming more targeted. Attackers now use relevant information and constantly change their tactics just to keep the conversation going.
The data
A recent deep dive into spam text messages conducted by Bitdefender reveals that in just three months (September–December 2024), attackers have stolen around $40 million.
In Canada, 5,395 text messages were reported to the Canada Anti-Fraud Centre, and these messages have cost Canadians nearly $24 million.
The hypothesis
Blocking unknown contacts by default before any interaction with the message would cut down on accidental clicks and reduce opportunities for spoofing.
What we have now
A range of spam messages with a mixture of a conversation starter, links out to websites or images of popular services so it looks real to everyday people.
The design — Restrict messages before accessing
How it works
- When first opening a conversation with someone you don’t know, a warning page appears.
- You must verify that you want to interact with the conversation before any interaction is possible.
- You can choose to report and spam block it even before you view it
If you like this design proposal, please share your feedback. This is part of a broader initiative focused on spam prevention, with more improvements to be shared soon.
References
Bitdefender’s Report
Robokiller.com — Spam Text Insight
Global News — Spam Fraud Texts Problem Getting Worse
Canada Spam Reporting
