Cell phone spam

Is there any way I can block spam text messages on my cell phone? It
makes the feature almost useless.



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› See More: Cell phone spam

"Tyaan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is there any way I can block spam text messages on my cell phone? It
> makes the feature almost useless.

Tyaan, what kind spam TM's are getting now? Is there any way to track those
messages back to the senders?

Bob

Depends. If its a message to PCS mail, yes. if its one way, Sprint in
*theory* can block one way messages.

For PCS mail, I suggest changing your username to something that isn't
overly common or adding numbers to it. I found if you have a username that
is a common word (such as mountains), it will get a ton of PCS mail spam,
but a name like mountains999 won't.

Luckily, sprint doesn't yet charge for incoming messages on Vision accounts,
so there's a plus.

"Tyaan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is there any way I can block spam text messages on my cell phone? It
> makes the feature almost useless.
>
>
>
> ................................................................
> Posted via TITANnews - Uncensored Newsgroups Access
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On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 21:33:45 GMT, "Terry Knab" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Depends. If its a message to PCS mail, yes. if its one way, Sprint in
>*theory* can block one way messages.
>
The spam is getting sent to my phone number at sprintpcs.com (i.e.
[email protected]. It comes from randomly generated addresses,
usually advertising viagra, home loans, and stuff like that.

>For PCS mail, I suggest changing your username to something that isn't
>overly common or adding numbers to it. I found if you have a username that
>is a common word (such as mountains), it will get a ton of PCS mail spam,
>but a name like mountains999 won't.
>
I don't have a vision phone so I don't think think this applies.

>Luckily, sprint doesn't yet charge for incoming messages on Vision accounts,
>so there's a plus.
>
I just switched to a non-vision account (replaced L.G. PoS with Nokia
3588i). Will I get charged now?

>"Tyaan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Is there any way I can block spam text messages on my cell phone? It
>> makes the feature almost useless.
>>



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"Tyaan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 21:33:45 GMT, "Terry Knab" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >Depends. If its a message to PCS mail, yes. if its one way, Sprint in
> >*theory* can block one way messages.
> >
> The spam is getting sent to my phone number at sprintpcs.com (i.e.
> [email protected]. It comes from randomly generated addresses,
> usually advertising viagra, home loans, and stuff like that.
>
> >For PCS mail, I suggest changing your username to something that isn't
> >overly common or adding numbers to it. I found if you have a username
that
> >is a common word (such as mountains), it will get a ton of PCS mail spam,
> >but a name like mountains999 won't.
> >
> I don't have a vision phone so I don't think think this applies.
>
> >Luckily, sprint doesn't yet charge for incoming messages on Vision
accounts,
> >so there's a plus.
> >
> I just switched to a non-vision account (replaced L.G. PoS with Nokia
> 3588i). Will I get charged now?

Don't know whether you will be charged or not, but I have a follow up
question. Are you sure that those spams are being directed specifically to
your TM address and not to your sprintpcs email address?

I ask as I get a lot of the same type of spam sent to my sprintpcs email
address, and had my preferences set to send me a TM, everytime an email was
sent to my email address. So, it looked like my TM address was getting
spammed. I went back into my preferences to *not* notify me via TM on new
email received to the sprintpcs account. Now, I don't receive any spam TMs.

Bob

On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 13:25:38 GMT, "Bob Smith"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Tyaan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 21:33:45 GMT, "Terry Knab" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Depends. If its a message to PCS mail, yes. if its one way, Sprint in
>> >*theory* can block one way messages.
>> >
>> The spam is getting sent to my phone number at sprintpcs.com (i.e.
>> [email protected]. It comes from randomly generated addresses,
>> usually advertising viagra, home loans, and stuff like that.
>>
>> >For PCS mail, I suggest changing your username to something that isn't
>> >overly common or adding numbers to it. I found if you have a username
>that
>> >is a common word (such as mountains), it will get a ton of PCS mail spam,
>> >but a name like mountains999 won't.
>> >
>> I don't have a vision phone so I don't think think this applies.
>>
>> >Luckily, sprint doesn't yet charge for incoming messages on Vision
>accounts,
>> >so there's a plus.
>> >
>> I just switched to a non-vision account (replaced L.G. PoS with Nokia
>> 3588i). Will I get charged now?
>
>Don't know whether you will be charged or not, but I have a follow up
>question. Are you sure that those spams are being directed specifically to
>your TM address and not to your sprintpcs email address?
>
>I ask as I get a lot of the same type of spam sent to my sprintpcs email
>address, and had my preferences set to send me a TM, everytime an email was
>sent to my email address. So, it looked like my TM address was getting
>spammed. I went back into my preferences to *not* notify me via TM on new
>email received to the sprintpcs account. Now, I don't receive any spam TMs.
>
>Bob
>
I'm not signed up for a sprintpcs e-mail account. It tries to get me
to sign up for one when I go to that page. I never created a username
or alias and the e-mails I get are sent to [email protected] .
I did find a page in my profile where I can block senders but this is
useless as the sender names are randomly generated and I can't block
mail from a domain.



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Tyaan <[email protected]> wrote:

> The spam is getting sent to my phone number at sprintpcs.com (i.e.
> [email protected]. It comes from randomly generated addresses,
> usually advertising viagra, home loans, and stuff like that.

Same here. I get 20 or 30 a day. And for Bob, no, these are not Sprint
PCS email spams, but rather the 1-way "SMS" message spams. i.e. they
are not addressed to my "@sprintpcs.com" email address, but rather
directly to my phone i.e. [email protected].

And the maddening thing is that there seems to be no way to stop them.
I have every "1-way" messaging option turned off at
manage.sprintpcs.com, but they keep coming.

I'm hoping that the new Sprint SMS system that is supposed to take over
in January will address this.

Dave


--

Email reply to [email protected] after removing the NOSPAM

"Tyaan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
<snipped>

> I'm not signed up for a sprintpcs e-mail account. It tries to get me
> to sign up for one when I go to that page. I never created a username
> or alias and the e-mails I get are sent to [email protected] .
> I did find a page in my profile where I can block senders but this is
> useless as the sender names are randomly generated and I can't block
> mail from a domain.

Unfortunately, if that is the case, there is really nothing you can do, save
to give CS a call, tell them the problem you are experiencing, that you
don't want to pay for those unsolicitated TMs and ask them for a new
telephone number.

Bob

"Dave K." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1g5nnvm.z1aqe81bg11voN%[email protected]...
> Tyaan <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The spam is getting sent to my phone number at sprintpcs.com (i.e.
> > [email protected]. It comes from randomly generated addresses,
> > usually advertising viagra, home loans, and stuff like that.
>
> Same here. I get 20 or 30 a day. And for Bob, no, these are not Sprint
> PCS email spams, but rather the 1-way "SMS" message spams. i.e. they
> are not addressed to my "@sprintpcs.com" email address, but rather
> directly to my phone i.e. [email protected].
>
> And the maddening thing is that there seems to be no way to stop them.
> I have every "1-way" messaging option turned off at
> manage.sprintpcs.com, but they keep coming.
>
> I'm hoping that the new Sprint SMS system that is supposed to take over
> in January will address this.
>
> Dave

Dave, per my reply to Tyann, about the only way to fix that problem is to
get a new phone number. That is, unless Rob - O/Sirus knows of some new way
to stop it through the system.

Bob

Bob Smith <[email protected]> wrote:


> Dave, per my reply to Tyann, about the only way to fix that problem is to
> get a new phone number. That is, unless Rob - O/Sirus knows of some new way
> to stop it through the system.
>

Bob-

I'm going to wait for the Jan 4 new SMS system to see if that gives more
control options. I see no point changing phone numbers now, since this
appears to be simple sequential numerical spamming. ie.

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
etc.

For that reason, you have as good a chance of getting the spams at the
new number as any other. If Sprint can't fix this in their new system,
that will be our final straw to dump them. That on top of the fact that
we've NEVER had Sprint coverage right here at our home in the heart of
Atlanta (Virginia-Highland)!

Dave
--

Email reply to [email protected] after removing the NOSPAM

Bob Smith <[email protected]> wrote:

> give CS a call, tell them the problem you are experiencing, that you
> don't want to pay for those unsolicitated TMs

Sheesh- now there's a wrinkle I hadn't even considered. One-way TMs do
not require you to launch your Wireless Web browser, so I assumed there
was at least no cost in receiving the things. Are you sure I'm getting
charged?

Dave

--

Email reply to [email protected] after removing the NOSPAM

"Dave K." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1g5nqhf.1e8s43s19v2pkwN%[email protected]...
> Bob Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > give CS a call, tell them the problem you are experiencing, that you
> > don't want to pay for those unsolicitated TMs
>
> Sheesh- now there's a wrinkle I hadn't even considered. One-way TMs do
> not require you to launch your Wireless Web browser, so I assumed there
> was at least no cost in receiving the things. Are you sure I'm getting
> charged?
>
> Dave

Ya know, since they brought Vision on line, I'm not sure. I know that those
folks with Vision on their account, obviously TMs don't cost anything, that
TMs are included with the service, but for those folks w/o vision on their
account, I don't know.

I know that accounts that don't have Vision, can use it ... and there is a
cost to using it, as outlined here quite often. Hence my statement above.

Bob

In article <1g5nqhf.1e8s43s19v2pkwN%
[email protected]>, Dave=20
[email protected] says...
> Bob Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
> > give CS a call, tell them the problem you are experiencing, that you
> > don't want to pay for those unsolicitated TMs
>=20
> Sheesh- now there's a wrinkle I hadn't even considered. One-way TMs do
> not require you to launch your Wireless Web browser, so I assumed there
> was at least no cost in receiving the things. Are you sure I'm getting
> charged?
>=20
> Dave
>=20
>=20

Yes, potentially, you could be. I *think* you mentioned=20
it's now a Nokia 3588i. For that, no. If it were one of=20
the older, Wireless Web, phones, yes, you would be.

--=20
-+-
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for SprintPCS
I *don't* speak for them.

In article <yO5Bb.5437$Ho3.58
@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net>, Bob=20
[email protected] says...
> Dave, per my reply to Tyann, about the only way to fix that problem is to
> get a new phone number. That is, unless Rob - O/Sirus knows of some new w=
ay
> to stop it through the system.
>=20
> Bob
>=20

We don't have *direct* access to the messaging system for=20
Vision phones (and, in this particular case, the Nokia=20
counts as a Vision phone). However, we *do* have a=20
procedure for blocking unsolicited messages.

Dave K mentioned our newer text messaging system. When=20
that goes live, mid to late January now, we're supposed to=20
once more be able to use a tool that worked for Wireless=20
Web phones, and then we'll be able to handle this directly=20
again.

We're getting SLAMMED with calls right now because of=20
circumstances we apparently could not avoid. But if you=20
don't mind the wait, give us a call in Vision Tech Support,=20
and we can run a ticket through to turn that messaging off=20
completely. For now, though, it's an all-or-nothing=20
option.

--=20
-+-
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for SprintPCS
I *don't* speak for them.

"Bob Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> Dave, per my reply to Tyann, about the only way to fix that problem is to
> get a new phone number. That is, unless Rob - O/Sirus knows of some new
way
> to stop it through the system.

This is at least the fourth group I've seen this topic appear on. It
appears to be an industry problem, and not isolated to Sprint. The fixes
are very slow in coming. Nextel appears to have institued some form of
filtering, which seemed to have stopped the complaints, but their only
option prior to that was the same as it is here- either turn of messaging,
or get a new number. I haven't seen anything to indicate that anyone else
has addressed the problem.