SMS spam: What you can do about it

[rpm]

What you can do about SMS spam

To combat SMS spam, it is necessary for the broader public to report it to WASPA and insist on a formal review where appropriate.

 

[gideonel]

Random though... Many spam sms's now come with the option to reply stop, promising that they will stop sending you spam. Does this stop action work like those spyware stop buttons on pc e mail where once you push it, it infects your mobile with all sorts o nasties?

 

[Bizkit87]

Random though... Many spam sms's now come with the option to reply stop, promising that they will stop sending you spam. Does this stop action work like those spyware stop buttons on pc e mail where once you push it, it infects your mobile with all sorts o nasties?

no, i just think if you reply "STOP" they know your number is active, and they'll sell your number as active to other spammers.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

Random though... Many spam sms's now come with the option to reply stop, promising that they will stop sending you spam. Does this stop action work like those spyware stop buttons on pc e mail where once you push it, it infects your mobile with all sorts o nasties?

No, not possible.

 

[satanboy]

stop entering your cell no when signing up for Asian animal porn...

 

[xrapidx]

here consumers cannot recall that they subscribed in the first place

you mean didn't subscribe and got billed.

 

[Ancalagon]

This can help:
http://www.facilities.co.za/dma/dnc.aspx

Its an opt out directory. The reputable marketers *should* be checking whether you are on there prior to trying to contact you.

 

[abubolt]

Thanks a bunch Ancalagon

 

[zaktoo]

I would suggest the more militant response of boycotting products and harassing CEOs, managers and whoever you can get hold of at the spamming company. Fight anti-social behaviour with anti-social behaviour.

 

[Fudzy]

The big trick would be finding the source.

 

[Madhawk]

I once replied STOP, got charged R7.50. Never again. I just delete now...

 

[Ancalagon]

I heard about that because when I got an SMS from hippo, I didnt reply stop, I made a stink about it on hellopeter.

 

[Lounger]

When a WASPA committee member is spammer in chief, you know complaining is going to a achieve little.

 

[elvis_presley]

I once replied STOP, got charged R7.50. Never again. I just delete now...

Did you do what the article said and complain? If you didn't, I'm sure someone else did. Your R7.50 should have been refunded, the dude doing the scam would have got a fine, and not received any of his money. The revenue from premium SMS is held in escrow for a while by the cellphone providers for exactly this reason.

My company provides both bulk and premium SMS solutions, and when we get a WASPA complaint we take it very seriously, and when we pass it on to Vodacom, etc, they also take it seriously.

 

[Madhawk]

Did you do what the article said and complain?

No, at the time I didn't know what to do about it. Learned my lesson. Won't happen again.

 

[Johnfpro]

I once replied STOP, got charged R7.50. Never again. I just delete now...

This has been my experience as well. It might stop the SPAM but they make a fortune out of the charges. I don't beleive that the local providers don't know the source. Who do they pay the STOP charge to (i.e. the portion they don't retain)?

 

[Antonf]

I lodged a number of complaints with WASPA, and ZIP has happened.

 

[entrepr]

This can help:
http://www.facilities.co.za/dma/dnc.aspx

Its an opt out directory. The reputable marketers *should* be checking whether you are on there prior to trying to contact you.

I registered with this site a while ago but still get unwanted SMSs. Not to mention phone calls, e-mails etc from SA companies. It's just a bigger waste of time registering.

Also tried complaining via WASPA. That's an even bigger source of wasted time and frustrations - they seemed to be toothless. No relief on that score. It's more fulfilling on the roadside waiting for godot.

Then there's the ultimate frustration when your own network, Vodacom, starts to spam you. Phoning their call centre and saying 'I never ever, ever, ever, ever want to get any form of unwanted message from Vodacom, ever ever ever' etc etc doesn't help either. They probably have a good laugh in the call centre, recite back some platitude to you and don't actually do anything.

 

[Wall]

Over the last 2 months I have been getting SMS'es from furniture stores, MTN, Bogus lottery winnings and a host of other cr@p.

I had my number clean for 5 years and now it's just ****ing frustrating.

 

[murraybiscuit]

this is why we need google voice.
give out a separate number for spam and decide where you want it routed, or route depending on cli.