How to Block and Filter Spam SMS in Singapore
From fake parcel texts to phishing links, here is how to block spam SMS on Android and iPhone and report them through ScamShield.
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A text arrives claiming your parcel from SingPost cannot be delivered until you pay a small fee, with a link to fix it. Or a message from your bank warns of suspicious activity and asks you to tap through. Spam and scam SMS, often called smishing when they carry phishing links, are among the most common fraud attempts in Singapore. The good news is that both Android and iPhone now offer strong filtering, and every report you file through ScamShield helps protect the next recipient.
Recognise the spam SMS playbook
Most malicious texts in Singapore fall into a few families. Parcel scams impersonate SingPost, Ninja Van, J&T Express, or e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada, demanding a redelivery fee through a link. Bank and government impersonation texts warn of frozen accounts or unpaid fines. Loan, investment, and job-offer spam promises easy money, often over WhatsApp after an initial SMS. A newer twist uses the SMS Sender ID system: scammers register lookalike sender names, so always inspect the actual content and link rather than trusting the displayed sender name. Any unexpected text with a link and a demand for urgency deserves suspicion.
Filter spam SMS on Android
On phones using Google Messages:
- Open Messages → Settings → Spam protection and turn spam protection on.
- Suspicious messages are then moved to the spam folder automatically.
- To block a sender manually, open the conversation, tap the sender details, and choose Block.
Samsung Messages offers similar spam protection and block options under its settings menu. Make it a habit to check the spam folder occasionally for false positives, especially around the time you expect one-time passwords or delivery updates. Never tap links inside messages already flagged as spam; previewing a link can be enough to confirm to scammers that your number is active.
Filter spam SMS on iPhone
On iOS:
- Go to Settings → Messages and turn on Filter Unknown Senders, which sorts texts from numbers not in your contacts into a separate list.
- In any conversation, tap the sender at the top, then Info, then Block this Caller to block it.
- Install ScamShield from the App Store and enable it under Settings → Messages → Unknown & Spam so scam texts are filtered against the shared scam database.
Filtered messages stay readable but silent, so you will not be pinged at midnight by the next loan offer. As on Android, review the filtered list now and then so genuine messages from clinics, schools, or delivery riders are not missed.
Strengthen the net with ScamShield
ScamShield, developed with the National Crime Prevention Council and supported by the Singapore Police Force, is the central reporting and filtering tool for scam messages. Beyond its on-device filtering, it lets you look up suspicious messages and report new ones through the app or at scamshield.gov.sg. Each report feeds the shared database that protects other users, and reported scam numbers can be blocked across the system. If a text leaves you unsure, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 for advice before tapping anything or replying.
Report and delete: the right reflexes
When a spam text lands, follow this order. First, do not tap any link and do not reply, not even with STOP, since replies confirm your number is live. Second, take a screenshot if you plan to make a police report, especially if money is involved. Third, report the message through ScamShield so the sender joins the shared block database. Fourth, block the sender and delete the conversation. If the text impersonates your bank, such as DBS, OCBC, or UOB, forward the details to the bank's official fraud-reporting channel as well, then verify your account by opening the bank's official app yourself rather than through any link.
Habits that reduce spam SMS
Fewer exposures mean fewer texts. Avoid posting your mobile number publicly on marketplaces like Carousell or on social media profiles. Be cautious with lucky draws and surveys that ask for your number, since some lists get resold. Use your carrier's spam-filtering features where available, since operators including Singtel, StarHub, and M1 deploy network-level SMS filtering that stops some malicious texts before delivery. And treat every unexpected link as guilty until proven innocent: open your bank, courier, or government service through its official app or a bookmarked site instead.
Spam SMS thrives on speed and distraction, but a filtered inbox plus a calm routine defeats it. Turn on the filters today, report what slips through, and let the links in unexpected texts die unclicked.
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Editorial content reviewed by NoCall with practical context for spotting suspicious calls and messages.
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