Reuters: "Mobile Phone Spam Is Here To Stay"

[Raphael Salgado]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1932794,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,175...,1932794,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Fumi Ishii has changed her mobile phone e-mail address several times and once spent a month tracking down her tormentor, but the spam keeps coming. "I found the sender's contact information after a lot of research, and I called them up and complained," said the 57-year old print firm owner. "They started up again, but this time I can't figure out where it's coming from." Spam, or electronic junk mail, typically offering dating services, pornography and get-rich schemes, has moved beyond traditional e-mail and into text-messaging and mobile e-mail."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/phonespam.jpg" /><br /><br />While our technology evolves to make cyberspace as intimate, accessible, and as portable as we can, we cannot forget the lesser evils such as spam that continues to evolve as well. As insult to injury, mobile spam can actually be very costly, whether in the form of an SMS or by additional bandwidth used in downloading these junky e-mails. Are you dealing with mobile spam already? Does anyone have ideas on how to stop the madness? :evil:

[Jacob]

Even though I had text messaging disabled on my account, I got a few spam text messages. Verizon said that some people had found a loophole to get into the system and send some text messages - even to those like me who had it disabled on their account.

Frankly, I don't see spam ever going away unless the cost of the message is high enough.

[Darius Wey]

SMS spam is relatively rare here in Australia - at least, as far as I'm aware. On top of that, we don't pay to receive SMS (unlike some countries), so fortunately, there are no monetary costs involved.

[Rod3]

Even though I had text messaging disabled on my account, I got a few spam text messages. Verizon said that some people had found a loophole to get into the system and send some text messages - even to those like me who had it disabled on their account.

Frankly, I don't see spam ever going away unless the cost of the message is high enough.

Do you have to pay for the spam? I have Verizon, and didn't know you could disable text messaging. That's a great idea.

[Jacob]

Do you have to pay for the spam? I have Verizon, and didn't know you could disable text messaging. That's a great idea.

I didn't have to pay for it after I called to complain. It wasn't a HUGE deal since I only got maybe 3 at the most over a period of three weeks. Since to receive is $0.02/message it wouldn't have exactly broken the bank. Still, as a matter of principle I shouldn't have to pay.

I don't have verizon anymore, but I had seen the ability to remove that as a supported feature and whether it did anything, I'm not sure. When I called, they acknowledged that it was disabled on my account.

I'd suggest calling their customer service to check it out. Unless my belief that I had it disabled was wrong and the service rep just allowed me to think that then I'm pretty sure it can be done.

[Rod3]

Thanks for your response, Jacob. I'll call them first thing tomorrow.
:)

[Duncan]

SMS spam is relatively rare here in Australia - at least, as far as I'm aware. On top of that, we don't pay to receive SMS (unlike some countries), so fortunately, there are no monetary costs involved.

I've never understood that one - why on earth would any company make someone pay for receiving an SMS? They wouldn't think of charging someone to receive a phone call after all...

[Mark Kenepp]

I've never understood that one - why on earth would any company make someone pay for receiving an SMS? They wouldn't think of charging someone to receive a phone call after all...

In the US, airtime charges are just that, airtime. It does not matter if the time is spent on a call that was made or a call that was received.

Landlines are different. It costs nothing to receive a call, unless you are an 800 number, and only costs to make a call if it is considered Long Distance.

When I was in Germany, back in 1989, I was surprised that I was going to be charged to make a local call.

[Duncan]

I've never understood that one - why on earth would any company make someone pay for receiving an SMS? They wouldn't think of charging someone to receive a phone call after all...

In the US, airtime charges are just that, airtime. It does not matter if the time is spent on a call that was made or a call that was received.

That's just silly...! I always thought it a universal principal that only the initiator of a communication - whether it be phone call, SMS or letter - shoul be charged. What if you get called/sms'ed by telemarketers? Or just by people you don't particularly want to talk to?

[SteveHoward999]

That's just silly...! I always thought it a universal principal that only the initiator of a communication - whether it be phone call, SMS or letter - shoul be charged. What if you get called/sms'ed by telemarketers? Or just by people you don't particularly want to talk to?

Yup - but amazingly it seems that litigation-crazy America has managed to let it's cell phone providers shaft them every which-way ... out-dated devices, high charges, paying to recieve calls, receive text and other messages, get locked into contracts ... you name it, the cell companies here have the scam sewn up. It's refreshing ... I even found myself thinking that the British cell phone companies have us Brits coddled and treated fairly ... really, it's that bad here in the US!!!

[pocketpcadmirer]

Its very sad,but, even a college student like me receives like 10 sms spams per day !! Bad thing is that every time they have a different number. So I cant even install a sms blocker :(

Sunny

[ctmagnus]

I thought that someone was discussing legislating against this cr@p several years ago. :?:

[Ed Hansberry]

That's just silly...! I always thought it a universal principal that only the initiator of a communication - whether it be phone call, SMS or letter - shoul be charged. What if you get called/sms'ed by telemarketers? Or just by people you don't particularly want to talk to?
How would you charge a sender that is sending emails to a phone through an SMS gateway? Spammers aren't sending this stuff from cell phones.

[Duncan]

That's just silly...! I always thought it a universal principal that only the initiator of a communication - whether it be phone call, SMS or letter - shoul be charged. What if you get called/sms'ed by telemarketers? Or just by people you don't particularly want to talk to?
How would you charge a sender that is sending emails to a phone through an SMS gateway? Spammers aren't sending this stuff from cell phones.

Ed - the notion that people should be charged for receiving communication is unsupportable - that there can be a way of people sending messages for free is irrelevant. The fact is that mobile phone companies get away with treating American consumers really badly.

[Darren Behan]

I'd like to address the most upsetting part of this whole post: The 'meat' appearing on top of the can is not, in fact, the venerable SPAM. If cans of SPAM had eyes, they'd be filled with tears right now.

:bawl: = :spam:

db

[Ed Hansberry]

Ed - the notion that people should be charged for receiving communication is unsupportable - that there can be a way of people sending messages for free is irrelevant.
Are incoming calls to your cell phone free or does it use your minutes?

[Duncan]

Ed - the notion that people should be charged for receiving communication is unsupportable - that there can be a way of people sending messages for free is irrelevant.
Are incoming calls to your cell phone free or does it use your minutes?

Incoming calls to my mobile are free. In the UK people only pay for calls they make or messages they send. Our free minutes are entirely for outward bound calls. Doesn't it seem odd to be charged for other people making calls to you (outside, of course, of the monthly charge you pay in order to have a line that people can call)?

[Darius Wey]

Doesn't it seem odd to be charged for other people making calls to you (outside, of course, of the monthly charge you pay in order to have a line that people can call)?

I've never quite understood it either. There's discussion on this topic at Smartphone Thoughts (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10562) as well.