Fax Spam: Proven Strategies for Blocking Junk Faxes

If you’ve ever used a fax machine or online fax solution, chances are you’ve experienced fax spam. But what exactly is fax spam, and what strategies can you use to block junk faxes from flooding your fax line? 

In this blog post, we’ll go over what fax spam is, how to stop unwanted faxes, the legal action you can take against fax spam senders, and answer the frequently asked questions you might have about fax spam.

What is Fax Spam?

Fax spam is also known as junk fax, and refers to faxes that you receive that you did not sign up for or agree to. Fax spam is the equivalent of email spam, and often comes in the form of unsolicited advertisements or other marketing material sent to your fax machine.

Fax spam occurs when telemarketing companies buy a list of fax numbers from an online database or business directory.  Some companies even offer services that allow businesses to send a fax to a large number of recipients at once. This can be used for legitimate purposes, or spammers can misuse the service to send fax spam.

How to Stop Fax Spam Using Traditional Fax Machines?

If you’re receiving any amount of unsolicited faxes to your traditional fax machine, you’re probably wondering how you can get it to stop. There are a handful of ways to stop fax spam when you’re using a physical fax machine and a dedicated phone line. Below, we’ll go over some of the ways you can block unwanted faxes to free up your phone line and save on paper.

Enable the Block List Feature on Your Fax Machine

Your fax machine likely has a feature that allows you to add specific numbers to a list, blocking them from sending you any more faxes. To find the instructions to add senders to a blocked list, you can check your fax machine’s user manual or conduct an online search using your fax machine model.

Once you have identified the numbers that are sending you spam faxes, you can add them to the block list. Doing so means your fax machine will no longer receive faxes from those numbers.

Disable Automatic Printing on Your Fax Machine

You can disable the setting on your fax machine that automatically prints the faxes you receive. This way, you can manually review incoming faxes before your fax machine prints them, allowing you to weed out any spam faxes. By disabling automatic printing, you can save money on paper and toner by only printing the faxes you want to keep.

To disable automatic printing, read the user manual that came with your fax machine or use a search engine to look up the setting for your specific fax machine model.

Opt-Out of Fax Lists

Similar to the way you can opt out of promotional texts and emails, some companies offer you the ability to opt out of faxes. If a spam fax includes a number or email address and provides instructions to opt-out, you can remove your fax number from the list. 

The FCC provides guidance for adding yourself to an opt-out fax list. According to this FCC resource: “When you send an opt-out request, be sure to identify the telephone number of your fax machine. Senders must honor opt-out requests within the shortest reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days. Putting an opt-out notice on a fax ad does not, by itself, make the fax lawful if the sender doesn’t also satisfy the requirements described above.” 

Change your Fax Number

Old fax numbers are more likely to be targeted for spam faxes as they’ve been in circulation for a long time. If you’ve been using the same fax number and you’re receiving a lot of fax spam, it might be time to get a new fax number. Changing your fax number won’t completely eliminate junk faxes, but it can temporarily reduce the amount you receive. 

File a Legal Complaint

Beyond just pesky, spam faxes are illegal in the United States. If you’re tired of receiving spam faxes and the above options haven’t worked, you can file a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a last resort. 

Once you file an official report, the spam fax sender is legally required to opt you out of their messages. If they ignore the complaint and continue sending you junk faxes, they can be fined. We’ll talk more about the Junk Fax Protection Act below.

Modernize your Faxing Process with a Digital Fax Solution

Traditional fax machines are typical targets of spam faxes. If you’re ready to change to a more secure faxing process, consider retiring your physical fax machine and upgrading your process to an online, digital fax solution. These services often include features that you can enable to help prevent junk faxes.

Preventing Spam Faxes Using Online Fax Services

To further safeguard against spam faxes, consider modernizing your faxing workflow by migrating to a digital fax service like eFax. Digital fax services offer features that can help you block spam faxes:

• Spam filtering: When you sign up for an online fax service, you can enable advanced filters that will automatically identify and remove unsolicited faxes. This feature works much the same as an email spam filter.
• Caller ID: Setting up caller ID on your online fax service allows you to view the fax sender number before you receive a fax. This way, you can block the number or set up a filter to remove this sender.
• Blocking numbers: Most online fax services allow you to block faxes from numbers you specify. When you can identify persistent spammers, you can add their number to the block list and prevent them from sending you any more junk faxes.

How to Block a Fax Number Using eFax

If you’re using eFax, it’s simple to block a fax number. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your eFax account.
2. Go to your inbox.
3. Select the junk fax message.
4. Click the Block Sender button.

This adds the number to your blocked list, preventing future faxes from that number.   

You can also add fax numbers to a block list manually:

1. Go to your account settings.
2. Look for the “Blocked Numbers” section.
3. Add the number you want to block.

The Legal Recourse Against Unsolicited Fax Senders

In 2005, the United States signed the Junk Fax Prevention Act into law, making it illegal for anyone to send unsolicited fax advertisements to any person who has requested that the sender not send them unsolicited fax communication. 

 There are a couple of exceptions to this law, such as an established business relationship between the sender and receiver or if the receiver voluntarily made their fax number available for public distribution. 

If the above exceptions don’t apply to you, you can sue the sender for up to $500 per unsolicited fax. If the sender willfully or knowingly sent you fax spam when you specifically opted out, that amount can be tripled. 

You can file a complaint with the FCC to help stop unwanted fax ads. Follow these steps to file a complaint:

1. Gather information about the sender, such as their name, address, and phone number. Also collect the date and time you received the fax spam and keep a copy of the document.
2. Visit the FCC consumer complaint website and follow the instructions to file a complaint. The more specific you can be in the description of the incident, the better.
3. Alternatively, you can file a complaint by sending a complaint form in the mail or calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322).

eFax: Your Best Defense Against Spam and Junk Faxes

When you sign up for an online faxing account with eFax, you can rest assured that junk faxes will be limited. eFax offers several features that help you avoid spam and junk faxes:

• Caller ID blocking allows you to block specific numbers or area codes, preventing unwanted faxes from reaching your inbox.
• Advanced spam filtering that identifies and discards faxes automatically when they meet specific criteria.
• Encryption protects your faxes and reduces the risk of spam and unauthorized access.
• The user-friendly interface makes it easy for you to implement spam prevention measures.