Unwanted soliciting on my lock screen

[johncgalloway]

Hi

I don't know if this has happened to anyone else. As of about a month ago (abouts), I get "messages" directly onto
my lock screen. The functionality of the stuff is very much like when you dial the *xxxx# code to buy or access your
Service provider's points menu / banking with text messages.

This morning I got one saying "Do you want Parapata (whatever) as your Eezy ringtone? ACCEPT / DENY and at the top Cancel. Any amount of Denying just brought it back and back again. When I said cancel, it told me that there is a cost per day do I want to ACCEPT or DISMISS / DENY. I just cancelled. It comes up without myself actually tapping or accessing the messages, right onto my lock screen. This is the first time they seemingly want to sell some service as opposed to at least once it was a message from some unknown person and at least two or three times it was "SMS blah blah to WIN". OH the one this morning, after I had cancelled I got another screen giving me a number to SMS "STOP" to opt out.

What freaks me out is that there is no SMS / email or whatsapp going along with it. This literally hijacks my lock screen and actually wakes my phone up (as I guess a normal SMS notification with the little green icon would do.)

Have any of you experienced this before? Is this some kind of Service Provider cr p? I am with MTN.


Sorry for the "Deurmekaar" typing, at work and in a bit of a hurry.

 

[froot]

:wtf:

Get an anti-virus. Soon.
None of my family members with ipads/iphones get that message.

 

[johncgalloway]

My iphone isn't rooted / jailbroken. This literally seems like a service provider is sending service level (if I can call it that) interactive
messages to my phone. Where do you get AV for iphones?

 

[biometrics]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/cellular/97071-disappearing-airtime-unsubscribe-all-wasps.html

 

[johncgalloway]

Luckily the MTN code seems to indicate I am not subscribed to anything. But what is to stop other people from doing something like this? I mean send a WASP type of message to any phone? With the message I received which seemed to come from another person, I read it, but just home buttoned out, assuming there is an SMS waiting in my inbox, none whatsover. This is really irritating. Thanks for the heads up though on the WASP MTN code, at least I know I'm not suscribed to anything.

 

[johncgalloway]

This is going to play merry hell on touch screen owners, as accidentally pressing on the screen if the phone is in your jean can cost you a friggin lot! How on earth this can even be legal IDK.

 

[AstroTurf]

Some apps do this on Android, Airpush detector gets rid of them though.

 

[Crowley]

I also received it just now, also on MTN. Freaking annoying.

 

[johncgalloway]

So it's an MTN thing then? Time to put on the war paint I guess. Can you imagine you need to phone during an emergency , some psychopath tikkop is chasing you with a knife, and at that very same moment that you need to phone the cops you have to go through multiple option interactive SMS screens because they want some of your airtime. Bloody irresponsible nonsense.

 

[johncgalloway]

Question now is, I guess, which service provider are they? Which antivirus is recommended though? (If at all as from support sites on the net I get the idea nobody with an iphone or ipad even bothers with Antivirus apps. )

:wtf:

Get an anti-virus. Soon.
None of my family members with ipads/iphones get that message.

 

[OomD]

Came this morning on my iPhone too, also MTN. Obviously not malware but a WASP type message.

 

[johncgalloway]

God, I hate cr*p like that. Seriously. Or when they phone you to just play a recording in your ear. Off to Mars I am.

 

[Frikkenator]

This looks very much like network initiated USSD. I'd speak to MTN ASAP if I were you. I'm pretty sure it's illegal and they should be able to see where it's coming from.

EDIT: Maybe not illegal, but definitely against the network's WASP policy.

 

[Vaper's Corner]

God, I hate cr*p like that. Seriously. Or when they phone you to just play a recording in your ear. Off to Mars I am.

+1 on the call you to play a recording...really!!!??? IF you want my business, and you are intent on irritating me with a cold call, the least you could do is put a real person on the other side...

 

[grok]

RPM, can you not initiate a follow up on this? Please get someone at MTN to explain this USSD spam crap of theirs.

I'm in VC so not seen this, but a colleague in the office just got the Parapara msg.

 

[Orihalcon]

Got it now as well...

WTF is this rubbish??

 

[Vaper's Corner]

Got it now as well...

WTF is this rubbish??

Also on MTN?

 

[Orihalcon]

Also on MTN?

Yes indeed. MTN. Android phone.

 

[johncgalloway]

Yes indeed. MTN. Android phone.

I've just written them a mail.


What with the week I had last week and the year so far this is just one more piece of proof that the
End is Nigh.

 

[Batista]

I got this today, Im on MTN prepaid.I've never gotten this before!It just pops up even when the phone is locked(SE Xperia Play)