Cell phone spam

[Nancy]

Is anyone else getting spam text messages from websites, some that are pornographic? It's happened to me, my husband and my Dad in the past week. Also my difficult child is getting text messages from inphomatch.com. Does anyone know anything about that?

I called my carrier and was told how to block text messages from internet websites and email accounts. I did that for my phone but want to also do it for my difficult child's and I can't without registering her phone seperately and having the password sent via text to her phone. Which negates the parental control feature of course unless she is willing to give me the password.

This is getting to be a nightmare and I hope they come up with some law that doesn;t allow companies or individuals to send out unsoliciatated texts.

Nancy

 

[hearts and roses]

I have gotten them, but not lately.

Anyway you could do it on difficult child's phone and keep her phone until the password comes in, jot it down somewhere safe and delete it before giving her back the phone?

 

[SaraT]

Do you by chance have MYspace account? Only asking because in the last month there have been reports of cell numbers of myspace users being bombarded by those unsavory messages. They are supposed to be in process of correcting it.

If that is not the case, then I don't have any wisdom for you. Luckily I have not had to deal with it.

Good luck getting it off your daughters phone and future ones blocked.

 

[Nancy]

I was told by my carrier that they are coming from people who are using a device that allows them to search for valid random cell phone numbers and send out texts to any number that comes up valid. Then they get you to go on their website and they've got you.

Nancy

 

[DammitJanet]

OMG...is myspace responsible for me getting tons of text messages on my cellphone? I dont remember entering it when I registered but maybe one of the kids did. The ones I am getting arent bad...horoscope and flirty ones. I really dont need to know that today is the day that a hot guy is going to pass through my life!

I have tried to get my cell phone carrier to block these but they say they cant block incoming text messages. Ugh. I know most carriers can but mine wont. I can block outgoing but only from my phone itself. I cant even figure out how to email or text back to these texts because they arent a regular address...just a 5 digit number.

 

[Nancy]

Janet, myspace is not the culprit. I don't know which carrier you have but through Verizon you can block just those text messages that come through email or the internet. You have to block it yourself by registering on their text message page. I would think most other carriers can block just those texts too.

Those 5 digit text numbers are usually premium texts and if you try to respond to them they assume you want the subscription. They are a real pain to delete and we have been charged $9.99 for three months now even though we sent several texts to them with STOP in the message which is suppose to stop them. My carrier credits us every month but we are having a very difficult time getting the subscription removed. I even had all downloads blocked on my difficult child's phone to try to stop them. Make sure you check your bill for any premium text charges and demand your carrier remove them. There is going to be a class action lawsuit someday because these wireless carriers should not be the billing agent for those premium text messages.

Make sure no one ever sends a text message to one of those 5 digits numbers because they are suscriptions to things like ringtones, joke a day, astronomy a day, etc.

Nancy

 

[DammitJanet]

We dont have any premium charges...in fact they told me if I HAD any on my account it would be easier to get them stopped!

As it stands now we cant figure out who the heck they are...lol. My cell phone carrier told me to text STOP to them but because I have blocked outgoing text messages I cant even do that...lol. With your advice I guess that is a blessing.

I have heard that my carrier is being bought by T-mobile as of a month or so away so maybe then they can block incoming texts. Who knows. I dont use text messaging. The only time I ever did was when I used my camera phone and wanted to email the picture to my email but now that my phone has a micro sd card I dont even do that.