Reducing false detection in an HSDPA 3G terminal

In one embodiment, a method for determining whether an encoded message in a shared channel is not intended for a communications device. The method includes: (a) decoding the message to recover a multi-bit codeword; (b) determining whether the codeword is valid or invalid, wherein, if the codeword is determined to be invalid, then the encoded message is not intended for the communications device; and (c) if the codeword is determined to be valid, then performing one or more other steps of the method to determine whether the encoded message in the shared channel is not intended for the communications device.