Because people know that we are in the texting business, as we are a provider of short codes for many brands and companies across The USA and world, I get asked often, how do you know if a text message is legitimate or not? Let’s take short code 71988 for example.
Just so you know, a shortcode, which is a four digit, five digit, or six digit code that is provided by the CTIA is vetted very heavily by the carriers. Meaning, it is a six to eight week approval process for a brand to be able to send a text message.
So just my opinion, the short code 71988 is very legitimate. To take this one step further and verify its legitimacy, we did some research. I searched 71988 short code text message. I searched “71988”, owner. And I got all the correct information. I confirmed it with the CTIA and The US shortcode of who owned it and what they were trying to do. I can say confidently that short code 71988 information that you signed up for to receive is legitimate.
For the record, asking a question like this is a good thing. Because every year, the IRS, FTC, and FCC report that over $487,000,000 is reported in text message crimes. So it’s always good to do your due diligence and find out if a short code is legitimate or not. So, if you receive a text message from 71988, or 71988 phone number, you better believe that the agencies that have vetted the short code have done their job to make sure that their customers are not falling for an illegitimate text.
Illegitimate texts are gaining momentum. I have seen text messages from random numbers saying:
“Hey, how are you?”
“How was your day?”
“Did you enjoy hiking?”
These people are phishing for a response. This means that they are trying to induce a response from you so they can get information from you to potentially scam you. Here’s what we suggest. If you receive a text message from a number that you’re not sure, just reply stop. Period.
It’s the easiest way. Yeah. The carriers will recognize the fact that you’ve replied stop. And if you ever receive a text from that number again, not only is it probably a legitimate number, but you probably have a potential claim. And if you want to find out if you have a claim, go to hammerheadlegal.com.
Hammerheadlegal.com is, in our opinion, the number one place to find damages if you received a text message in error.
For more information on this shortcode or any others you’d like us to check out, please email us support@joeymatterhorn.com, and we can answer any questions that you may have.