Does replying STOP to spam texts work, and is it safe?

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It depends on who is texting. For a legitimate business, replying STOP is a legally recognized opt-out: under 47 CFR § 64.1200(a)(10) (FCC rules in effect since April 2025), "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel" or "unsubscribe" sent in reply revokes consent, the sender must honor it within a reasonable time not exceeding 10 business days, and it may send only one confirmation text containing no marketing (§ 64.1200(a)(12)). Marketing texts that keep coming afterward can support a $500 to $1,500 claim per message under the TCPA (47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3)). For a scam or unknown sender, the FTC's guidance is not to engage: any reply confirms your number is active. Instead, forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block the sender, report it in your messaging app, and file at reportfraud.ftc.gov or consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. Keep the texts as evidence. To put a company on written notice, build a dated opt-out at https://takeitdown.agentexchange.work/request/optout.

Does replying STOP to spam texts work, and is it safe?

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