43% of Text Messages are Spam

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000550033984/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000550033984/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"This stat seems a little hard to swallow, especially considering that we’ve gotten exactly zero spam SMS text messages over the past year, but supposedly 43% of all text messages sent to cellphones last year were spam. The source of this “fact”? A company called Wireless Services which is in the business of handling text message traffic for various carriers"</i><br /><br />That number seems very high, and while it might be true at the carrier level, there is no way the average person is getting that many spam SMS. At least not here in North America, where most of us still pay per SMS. I have yet to get any SMS Spam. I do get spam voice mail messages on my mobile phone, but not text messages. Do any of you get spam?

[Jerry Raia]

I can't remember ever getting one on either Verizon or Cingular.

[Ed Hansberry]

I have never had an SMS spam either, but isn't the solution sort of simple? Don't give me any SMS messages for numbers that aren't in my contacts, sort of the way Hotmail has the option to assume 100% is spam unless you have a contact for the sender. It may involve uploading contacts to a server, and there are security issues with that, but filters will never work.

[vincenzosi]

I've had T-Mobile (formerly Omnipoint, then VoiceStream) for as long as I can remember and I've never ever gotten an SMS spam. Not even one.

For such a prevalent problem, we sure don't have a lot of people on here that have had it...

[Jerry Raia]

Maybe the company pushing this stuff will have to send out some spam themselves. Create the need first. 8)

[skibee]

I agree -- I've never gotten text message spam either.

Interesting -- i wonder w/ which carriers its most prevalent.

[Fred]

I've had maybe 2 or 3 in the last 5 years. Trying to persuade me to upgrade my phone / switch networks. Not exactly 43% though.

I've had a few amusing "wrong number" texts though. Last one was "Is you Mum in? I'm on my way round and feeling horny." :lol:

[squirrelist]

Never gotten even one. And I don't know anyone who has gotten one either. At least if it does start to pour in I'm on AT&amp;T so incoming text is free.

[sikittle]

So, do some people in the US have to pay for incoming texts? (one of the posts above implies that).

I can say from a UK perspective most people do not get anywhere near 43% spam texts. I probably send a few hundred every month (and recieve probably same). Approximately zero are spam. And have been for as long as I can remember. I can only remember getting 1 spam ever.

I do know one person who gets spam on a semi-regular basis, but we're still only talking about 1 every 2 weeks.

[Mike Temporale]

So, do some people in the US have to pay for incoming texts? (one of the posts above implies that).

Well, I'm in Canada - not the US. :wink: My plan is for 100 Text Messages a month. Incoming or outgoing, doesn't matter, 100 total.

[vincenzosi]

In the US most carriers charge for both and give you a bucket of messages. There are some exceptions to that, but for the most part that's the way it's done here.

[sikittle]

oh wow.

Cos here in the UK, tarrifs with 100 Text, that's outgoing. You just don't pay for incoming texts at all here.

They're just free, and always have been.

The only exception is like premium SMS services, such as when you use the Outlook Exchange "SMS Device ID" and it sends a special SMS to tell your phone there's new Exchange items available on the server - that costs.

But text's from other people, or whatever, they're completely free.

[yslee]

I think it's just a North American thing. Europe and Asia as far as I know generally enjoy free incoming SMSes.

The only spam I've ever recieved are from my own telco. =P

[BR]

That is strange . . . I never recieve spam either. That number does seem pretty high