SMS SPAM

I've read some of the threads concerning SMS spam.

A friend (sprint customer also) and I both got a SMS message for
Ephedrine from [email protected] almost at exactly the same time
today.

Customer Service states they're received a 'few' complaints about SMS
spam so far and say they are working on the problem.


Where are these spammers getting our numbers?

---

› See More: SMS SPAM

"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've read some of the threads concerning SMS spam.
>
> A friend (sprint customer also) and I both got a SMS message for
> Ephedrine from [email protected] almost at exactly the same time
> today.
>
> Customer Service states they're received a 'few' complaints about SMS
> spam so far and say they are working on the problem.
>
>
> Where are these spammers getting our numbers?
>
>
>

They are probably not 'getting' your number. More than likely, they are
spamming a large range of numbers, knowing that the good numbers will get
the spam. Its not hard for them to figure out that if they spam a number
range of something like 111-111-1111 to 111-111-9999, a good percentage of
their crap will get through.

"Scott Stephenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I've read some of the threads concerning SMS spam.
> >
> > A friend (sprint customer also) and I both got a SMS message for
> > Ephedrine from [email protected] almost at exactly the same time
> > today.
> >
> > Customer Service states they're received a 'few' complaints about SMS
> > spam so far and say they are working on the problem.
> >
> >
> > Where are these spammers getting our numbers?
> >
> >
> >
>
> They are probably not 'getting' your number. More than likely, they are
> spamming a large range of numbers, knowing that the good numbers will get
> the spam. Its not hard for them to figure out that if they spam a number
> range of something like 111-111-1111 to 111-111-9999, a good percentage of
> their crap will get through.

I'm guessing that SPCS has some sort of filtering when TMs are bombarded
from a single source. I suppose that some could get through. 99% of the spam
sent to my 5 or so email addresses are caught in the respective isp email
filters, but some do get through.

Bob

Bob

Yeap I got it too. I read, somewhere else that we (SprintPCS customers)
should call the 800 number from payphones and complain

Subject: look good for summer!
get EPHEDRINE now!
Guaranteed to work or your money back!
Call (800)494-7185

Basters... What if I didnt have unlimited SMS I'd be really pissed

--

http://www.youmatch.net/



"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've read some of the threads concerning SMS spam.
>
> A friend (sprint customer also) and I both got a SMS message for
> Ephedrine from [email protected] almost at exactly the same time
> today.
>
> Customer Service states they're received a 'few' complaints about SMS
> spam so far and say they are working on the problem.
>
>
> Where are these spammers getting our numbers?
>
>
>

"mjohns2" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Yeap I got it too. I read, somewhere else that we (SprintPCS customers)
> should call the 800 number from payphones and complain
>
> Subject: look good for summer!
> get EPHEDRINE now!
> Guaranteed to work or your money back!
> Call (800)494-7185
>
> Basters... What if I didnt have unlimited SMS I'd be really pissed
>
> --
>
> http://www.youmatch.net/
>

I'llhave to look into this, but isn't this (them spamming cel phones)
illegal?

If they're using a program to automaticly send out the spam, then I
think that is illegal, since it is illegal to use an autodialer to
call cell phones (for selling purposes).

These gues are on a very thin line and may be in deep doo-doo soon.

> Where are these spammers getting our numbers?

It's publicly available which numbers are assigned to Sprint PCS

Spam is an unsolicited message, whether it is by an automated machine or
not.
Nothing much anyone can do other than block 'em.

My E-Mail server has an error log so I can see if I have blocked someone by
mistake.
My Cell phone is another story. I only want certain people to by able to
send me SMS or E-Mail anyway.
Plus, people can still send me messages via the website if I block e-mail.

I am still wanting a whitelist, where we put only the e-mail addresses of
who we want to allow though and automatically block all others
by default.
That would stop the SMS/E-Mail stuff from going on.

I sent several messages to sprintpcs webmaster so, I hope look at their
e-mail.
It would be nice to have this feature.

If you want this feature, please send e-mail to: http://www.sprintpcs.com
then at the lower bottom right of the page, click on the [+] feedback
symbol.

Scotty


"TechGeek" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "mjohns2" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Yeap I got it too. I read, somewhere else that we (SprintPCS customers)
> > should call the 800 number from payphones and complain
> >
> > Subject: look good for summer!
> > get EPHEDRINE now!
> > Guaranteed to work or your money back!
> > Call (800)494-7185
> >
> > Basters... What if I didnt have unlimited SMS I'd be really pissed
> >
> > --
> >
> > http://www.youmatch.net/
> >
>
> I'llhave to look into this, but isn't this (them spamming cel phones)
> illegal?
>
> If they're using a program to automaticly send out the spam, then I
> think that is illegal, since it is illegal to use an autodialer to
> call cell phones (for selling purposes).
>
> These gues are on a very thin line and may be in deep doo-doo soon.

Is there any history with other cell service providers plagued by this
problem?

Isn't Sprint, compared to other providers, a rookie to true SMS
service?




On 02 Mar 2004 15:14:44 GMT, [email protected] (Cell merger) wrote:

>> Where are these spammers getting our numbers?
>
>It's publicly available which numbers are assigned to Sprint PCS

"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is there any history with other cell service providers plagued by this
> problem?
>
> Isn't Sprint, compared to other providers, a rookie to true SMS
> service?
>
>

I've seen the same complaints on the Nextel, Verizon and AT&T newsgroups in
the last six months, and I would bet that it is an industry-wide problem.

John <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is there any history with other cell service providers plagued by this
> problem?
>
> Isn't Sprint, compared to other providers, a rookie to true SMS
> service?

First off, cellular numbers are easy to generate with a very simple
script. The problem *doesn't* just exist with Sprint. All you need is an
exchange you know to belong to a carrier, and the domain name they use for
e-mail to their phones.

I could, for example, if I knew that 330-XXX-0000 through 330-XXX-9999
were Sprint numbers, generate 10,000 e-mail addresses, many of which would
actually deliver messages to phones: [email protected],
[email protected], etc. Doesn't take much brainpower to
do (fortunately for the spammers, many of whom have no brains).

Second, in reference to your second question: yes. They're very new
to SMS.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, Apple Valley, CA
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP: C57E 8B25 F994 D6D0 5F6B B961 EA08 9410 E3AE 35ED

Same here.
Most people don't know they can turn off E-Mail receiving via the 'manage
your account' portion of the sprintpcs website.
The ones who have had this happen, never even knew they had an e-mail
address for their phone, until they get spammed.

There are some, believe it or not, that actually want the phone to only make
calls. <tnc>
My Dad is like that. He doesn't even know how to check the SMS messages and
has never set up his Voicemail.
If you don't need it, why use it I guess. ;-)

Scotty


"Scott Stephenson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "John" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Is there any history with other cell service providers plagued by this
> > problem?
> >
> > Isn't Sprint, compared to other providers, a rookie to true SMS
> > service?
> >
> >
>
> I've seen the same complaints on the Nextel, Verizon and AT&T newsgroups
in
> the last six months, and I would bet that it is an industry-wide problem.
>
>

I know that it's not Sprint's falt that spammers spam, but Sprint
better act fast and correctly to this. I do not want to shut off the
e-mail option of SMS - I get e-mail SMS about school closings for my
kids that I don't want to miss. The only two ways that I can think of
that Sprint can deal with this is:

1) No charge for in coming SMS.

2) Allow customers to view SMS headers and then accept or decline the
message.

ALL of my friends that have SMS will have it shut down completely if
something isn't done. $10 a month for unlimited is WAY to much to pay
for this service and 10 cents per spam is even more WAY to much to
pay!

I feel REALLY bad that Sprint finally brings many a service that we
want and now we're all talking about having it complete removed from
our accounts.

PLEASE Sprint, please do what you can to "fix" this.

God Bless - Jorgy!

Have you sent a message to the link I posted earlier in this thread?

From previous post:
=====================================================
I am still wanting a whitelist, where we put only the e-mail addresses of
who we want to allow though and automatically block all others
by default.
That would stop the SMS/E-Mail stuff from going on.

I sent several messages to sprintpcs webmaster so, I hope look at their
e-mail.
It would be nice to have this feature.

If you want this feature, please send e-mail to: http://www.sprintpcs.com
then at the lower bottom right of the page, click on the [+] feedback
symbol.
======================================================


Scotty



"Jorgy!" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I know that it's not Sprint's falt that spammers spam, but Sprint
> better act fast and correctly to this. I do not want to shut off the
> e-mail option of SMS - I get e-mail SMS about school closings for my
> kids that I don't want to miss. The only two ways that I can think of
> that Sprint can deal with this is:
>
> 1) No charge for in coming SMS.
>
> 2) Allow customers to view SMS headers and then accept or decline the
> message.
>
> ALL of my friends that have SMS will have it shut down completely if
> something isn't done. $10 a month for unlimited is WAY to much to pay
> for this service and 10 cents per spam is even more WAY to much to
> pay!
>
> I feel REALLY bad that Sprint finally brings many a service that we
> want and now we're all talking about having it complete removed from
> our accounts.
>
> PLEASE Sprint, please do what you can to "fix" this.
>
> God Bless - Jorgy!

Last year I was getting SPAM via the 'short mail" service on my
handset. Very irritating, since that handset (a decent Sanyo, since
replaced) stayed connected after the short mail was delivered.
Eventually I had to get an "IT Specialist" to block internet email
delivery since the SPCS website provided no such option.

The block still seems to be in place, so the only way my new phone can
get an SMS message is if it is a true SMS message, not an internet
email sent to messaging.sprintpcs.com.

-d

Steven J Sobol <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> John <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Is there any history with other cell service providers plagued by this
> > problem?
> >
> > Isn't Sprint, compared to other providers, a rookie to true SMS
> > service?
>
> First off, cellular numbers are easy to generate with a very simple
> script. The problem *doesn't* just exist with Sprint. All you need is an
> exchange you know to belong to a carrier, and the domain name they use for
> e-mail to their phones.
>
> I could, for example, if I knew that 330-XXX-0000 through 330-XXX-9999
> were Sprint numbers, generate 10,000 e-mail addresses, many of which would
> actually deliver messages to phones: [email protected],
> [email protected], etc. Doesn't take much brainpower to
> do (fortunately for the spammers, many of whom have no brains).
>
> Second, in reference to your second question: yes. They're very new
> to SMS.

Interesting.

Can you elaborate?

How does a cellular company's system know the difference from a 'true'
SMS message versus an internet based message?

Customer Service is saying they have no way to filter on that
criteria.

Maybe I can call educated and instruct them how.





On 3 Mar 2004 12:13:11 -0800, [email protected] (Darron F) wrote:

>Last year I was getting SPAM via the 'short mail" service on my
>handset. Very irritating, since that handset (a decent Sanyo, since
>replaced) stayed connected after the short mail was delivered.
>Eventually I had to get an "IT Specialist" to block internet email
>delivery since the SPCS website provided no such option.
>
>The block still seems to be in place, so the only way my new phone can
>get an SMS message is if it is a true SMS message, not an internet
>email sent to messaging.sprintpcs.com.
>
>-d
>
>Steven J Sobol <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> John <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > Is there any history with other cell service providers plagued by this
>> > problem?
>> >
>> > Isn't Sprint, compared to other providers, a rookie to true SMS
>> > service?
>>
>> First off, cellular numbers are easy to generate with a very simple
>> script. The problem *doesn't* just exist with Sprint. All you need is an
>> exchange you know to belong to a carrier, and the domain name they use for
>> e-mail to their phones.
>>
>> I could, for example, if I knew that 330-XXX-0000 through 330-XXX-9999
>> were Sprint numbers, generate 10,000 e-mail addresses, many of which would
>> actually deliver messages to phones: [email protected],
>> [email protected], etc. Doesn't take much brainpower to
>> do (fortunately for the spammers, many of whom have no brains).
>>
>> Second, in reference to your second question: yes. They're very new
>> to SMS.