Check your smartphone bill now for content services

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Jamie McKane

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Disappearing airtime – Check your smartphone bill now

Many mobile subscribers in South Africa are complaining about disappearing airtime, and the reason may be that you are subscribed to a content service without knowing it.

Rogue wireless application service providers (WASPs) secretly subscribe thousands of cellular users to their content subscription services every month.
 
Service providers love SMS, how about sending an SMS to users when one of the WASPs subscribe then to their service you reply with a Yes/No to authorize this, and also when ever a WASP bills your account, you get a SMS and you have to authorize the deduction. If you don't reply then that is a No and the WASP can't rob you.

That can't be too difficult to implement.
 
Telkom also bill you for opting out of those SPAM marketing messages via SMS. So yeah, there's that too.
 
Sarg3_ZN said:
Service providers love SMS, how about sending an SMS to users when one of the WASPs subscribe then to their service you reply with a Yes/No to authorize this, and also when ever a WASP bills your account, you get a SMS and you have to authorize the deduction. If you don't reply then that is a No and the WASP can't rob you.

That can't be too difficult to implement.
Click to expand...
Lol

Because it makes the operator money, just like OOB. Its really not a mystery
 
See there are new options for Vodacom:

1) View and Stop Content Services
2) Stop All
3) Block*

* The Content Block, will prevent future subscriptions or purchases of third party content services.
Existing content services will still continue.

Hallelujah - Seems Vodacom at last added the option to permanently block future WASP subscriptions!

Staff Writer - Please update the article...
 
Franna said:
See there are new options for Vodacom:

1) View and Stop Content Services
2) Stop All
3) Block*

* The Content Block, will prevent future subscriptions or purchases of third party content services.
Existing content services will still continue.

Hallelujah - Seems Vodacom at last added the option to permanently block future WASP subscriptions!

Staff Writer - Please update the article...
Click to expand...

Mine shows "Unblock" cause it's been on "Block" for a few months now, and I see that does not help as I was subscribed to a service earlier this month without my consent or even knowing about it, so I still check it every week or so, that "block" does not mean it will block everything, it's just blocking what you have specified before, so the same one can't add you again but does not stop other WASPS
 
irBosOtter said:
Mine shows "Unblock" cause it's been on "Block" for a few months now, and I see that does not help as I was subscribed to a service earlier this month without my consent or even knowing about it, so I still check it every week or so, that "block" does not mean it will block everything, it's just blocking what you have specified before, so the same one can't add you again but does not stop other WASPS
Click to expand...

Okay thanks - so the Vodacom Block feature still needs some tweaking. At least it is a step in the right direction...
 
Boss had content services and some other services thing (ended up being vlive, that he never subscribed to) on his bill, R850pm for the two.
 
irBosOtter said:
just blocking what you have specified before, so the same one can't add you again but does not stop other WASPS
Click to expand...

^^ Wow. Vodacom said a WASP 'double opt-in' process was to be introduced a year ago but seems people still being ripped off - maybe a lot more than tweaking still needed?

April 2018 :-
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/cell...cking-all-wasps-by-default.html#disqus_thread
'We make regular improvements to our double-opt-in processes to make it clear to customers what it is they are subscribing to, the subscription term and the amount they will pay. We also actively upgrade anti-fraud detection software to curb potential fraud'.
 
I did the "stop all" exercise just before Dec 2018. Now I've checked again and it seemed I was subscribed to "Veld skoen pret". Immediately cancelled that. Will check out the other phones tonight
 
Franna said:
See there are new options for Vodacom:

1) View and Stop Content Services
2) Stop All
3) Block*

* The Content Block, will prevent future subscriptions or purchases of third party content services.
Existing content services will still continue.

Hallelujah - Seems Vodacom at last added the option to permanently block future WASP subscriptions!

Staff Writer - Please update the article...
Click to expand...

How do you access this block service please?
 
By default, South African SIM cards are open to WASP billing and it is up to subscribers to check their cellphone account to see if they are the victim of rogue WASPs.
Click to expand...
There's your problem right there.

ICASA should regulate the default is off and requires 2FA to opt in.
 
BTW, just checked the VC process and it changed while I was busy. Looks like it is still a work in progress.
The only constant is:
Dial *111#
select the services option
then the Content services option and you will get three options to select from.

I first had a look to see if I was subscribed to something, fortunately, found nothing, then I opted for the full Block.
 
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