Sevice Messages?

I have started to get Service Messages on my 3 phone. I thought a
Service Message could only be sent by the network provider, but they
obviously aren't. Today's message says it comes from Victoria:

Hi there! :-)
http://195.74.152.84/app/dispatch/YX...8366&jid=51625

I did not go to the link but instead phoned 3 and was put through to a
tech in India who to my surprise was very helpful, he could not explain
where it came from but is going to actually investigate it in his own
time and get back to me!

I was amazed to actually find someone at 3 that actually has a genuine
interest in his job and actually wants to investigate something in his
own time!

Does anyone know the specs on Service Messages and how they are sent?


--
The views I present are that of my own and NOT of any organisation I may
belong to.

73 de Simon, VK3XEM.
http://web.acma.gov.au/pls/radcom/cl...IENT_NO=157452

---

› See More: Sevice Messages?

"Simon Templar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have started to get Service Messages on my 3 phone. I thought a
> Service Message could only be sent by the network provider, but they
> obviously aren't. Today's message says it comes from Victoria:
>
> Hi there! :-)
>
http://195.74.152.84/app/dispatch/YX...8366&jid=51625


I've just received 2 service messages for the first time, in my case
it's a free ring tone scam!!!

If you retrieve the "free" ring tones, you get subscribed to 19766776.
Then you are charged $5 or thereabouts for each text/weekly
subscription.

But initially, I had no idea what was going on. The texts just
disappeared when I closed them. After a while, I finally found the
mysterious texts (they went into the service messages - which I didn't
even know existed). Being very puzzled, I tried to get more idea what
had happened ... and pressed the retrieve menu selection. Nothing
seemed to happen except a short delay, nothing displayed, then back to
the menu options. Yes, you all know what I did, but I didn't have a
clue. I then chased up the web addresses as best I could.

This is the first one that I received, last Friday, (but less most of
a long string at the end) - I don't want someone to click on the full
address and find I'm subscribed again.

Address http://195.74.152.84/wap/67911b63a37949ef1437 with a much
longer end string probably pointing to my individual mobile number.

Booted up our computer. An ARIN whois led to a RIPE database in
Amsterdam which pointed to a registrant "Wireless Information Network
Ltd" of Great Britain. Couldn't track it any further, although I'm
sure others probably could.

The next one was:
http://au.widelive.com/?0IJHcJ0004 (end of string deleted same reason
as above)

This finally resolved to "RSPC-UK-RACKSPACE-INTERNAL" again in GB.
However the sysadmin is in San Antonio Texas!

I then tried to connect to 83.138.181.240 (resolved by watching an IP
utility TCPView).

It offered a download to my computer, which I accepted. Careful
checking of the file showed it was wml format, so my browser displayed
it raw. In amongst the coding were all the terms and conditions and
what the whole thing was about. It also offered 1800 625 622, for an
unsubscribe, which I did. I was early enough to stop any payment
being ripped out of my Vodafone account (so far, anyway).

The infuriating part of all this is that I couldn't track down an
Australian connection. Nothing on the web site points to any
Australian. "Splash Mobile" are the bastards running it (see
http://www.grumbletext.co.uk/vt.php?...bile+complaint )

Vodafone refuses to tell me who runs the Premium Text number 19766776.
The 1800 unsubscribe appears to be fully automated (although I used it
last Sunday, it may be more forthcoming on weekdays). But I bet even
if you get a human, they won't be telling you who is behind the scam.

Checkmate.

> Does anyone know the specs on Service Messages and how they are
sent?

Sorry, no.

Probably only Vodafone can say how Splash Mobile get their scams into
Service Messages.

This whole 19 area positively stinks. Time for the regulator to start
to friggin regulate (with a big stick for a change).

Hmmm. Hope I haven't wandered too far from the main thread topic ...
if so, sorry guys.

Hughy

"Simon Templar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I have started to get Service Messages on my 3 phone. I thought a
> Service Message could only be sent by the network provider, but they
> obviously aren't. Today's message says it comes from Victoria:
>
> Hi there! :-)
>
http://195.74.152.84/app/dispatch/YX...8366&jid=51625


Damn! Isn't it amazing. I read the above post again and suddenly
realised the IP address was very familiar.

This is the same bloody website that sent me the first ringtone scam
message.

Anybody able to put the pieces together properly?

Hughy.

Simon Templar wrote:

> Does anyone know the specs on Service Messages and how they
> are sent?

I've not received one, so I haven't had the opportunity to
intercept and analyze any. But I expect that section 9.2.3.24
of 3GPP TS 23.040 ("TP-User Data") is the right place to begin
looking. I suspect they're some type of "SMS control"
messages, but I'm only guessing.

I don't know what restrictions (if any) carriers apply to the
lodgement of some of these funny message types by regular
subscribers. Certainly, some "SMS control" messages are
regularly, transparently and harmlessly sent by ordinary users,
like those that control the handling of concatenated
(multi-part, more than 160 character) SMSs.

John