enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 I'm getting a load of junk text messages - Vodafone's web site says I should first reply "STOP" to all of these messages and then report it to them if they persist, but I'm wary about confirming my number exists in much the same way that one is advised not to reply to spam emails. What have other people done, and did it help?
MK-2 Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 i'd definitely like to know too as i get the "you have been involved in an accident" junk ones, but never reply to them as i feel the same; replying STOP will confirm your number is live and invite them to send other junk
JJonas Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Im using Handcent SMS on my HTC Desire and that has the option to block senders.
Flakes Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 can you not request the numbers be banned from calling/texting you. Vodaphone should be able to identify the numbers. for some reason i think there may be an app on android phones that lets you choose what to do with junk texts, or phone calls(aka instant hang up/delete).
CAM Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Never reply with STOP, I am stunned that Vodafone are giving that advice out! It works like any other spam operation. Unfortunately there are sites on the net with reams and reams of phone numbers which are called and blind texted. This particular message has been doing the rounds for years and even hit my phone with a brand new number within 2 weeks of buying it. There is nothing you can do apart from ignore it or see if the phone has a smart spam trap that can pick up the £3750 bit (Since it's a rather exact figure and I doubt anyone will send you a text with that in it. The scam has used the same value of compensation over the years). Number blocking won't work. I've investigated this scam before and found it used a variety of different numbers.
plexer Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 My galaxy s and I think it's an android feature has an inbuilt block list for calls. If I press and hold on a number a menu pops up and one of the options is "add to reject list" Ben
enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 My compensation one doesn't have a value in it, so I'm obviously getting a different spam message to you. Can't see a built-in list of blocked senders (Android 2.3 on HTC Sensation) but I'll look at Handcent...
enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 Handcent looks like overkill for what I'm trying to do - numerous features which my phone has built-in anyway, but lots of other "fun" smilies and things. There are some other apps out there which look promising though, I'll give them a try. Oddly, I also found one which would allow me to choose some friends then enter a number between 5 and 100, and it would send those friends that many text messages. Why would anyone want to do that?!
JJonas Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Oddly, I also found one which would allow me to choose some friends then enter a number between 5 and 100, and it would send those friends that many text messages. Why would anyone want to do that?! I have used that feature. The wife asked me to remind her to buy nappies. I knew when she was going to the supermarket so I used that software to send her a text every 20 seconds so she would not forget to buy nappies.
RTFM Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 If you reply stop, how do you know the cost of it? It could be an 09 number and cost you £3 or something stupid couldnt it?
enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 I have used that feature. The wife asked me to remind her to buy nappies. I knew when she was going to the supermarket so I used that software to send her a text every 20 seconds so she would not forget to buy nappies. Presumably when she returned with the nappies, she delivered you a firm battering with them?!
enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 If you reply stop, how do you know the cost of it? It could be an 09 number and cost you £3 or something stupid couldnt it? One says it is free, the other two don't say.
JJonas Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Presumably when she returned with the nappies, she delivered you a firm battering with them?! She was not happy when she came out of Sainsburys but she didnt forget the nappies.
Flakes Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 i would of forgot the nappies and bought a baseball bat instead
akidosaint Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Saw this advice including where to forward spam messages to depending on provider Stop Spam Texts: Beat unsolicited, marketing SMS... 1
enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 Thanks akidosaint, that the was number Vodafone gave on their web site too (How do I stop unsolicited text messages being sent to me? - Help - Vodafone), except Vodafone specifically say to text "stop" first. In fact, when I forwarded the messages on to Vodafone just now, I got an auto-reply advising me to text "stop" too. Obviously, I'm not going to do that!
Ant Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 This may be of interest... Was posted yesterday on moneysavingexpert: Stop Spam Texts: Beat unsolicited, marketing SMS... Just confirms what a lot of you already do, ie do not reply!
SmellyLlama Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 I just delete them. I also would never respond to them.
enjay Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 I do delete them, but since I'm getting one a day I'd like to find something more proactive if possible.
Ignatius Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 I'm with Vodafone and received 4 or 5 of these spam text messages between January and May this year. They came from different numbers and I didn't respond to any of them. Each time, I made a note of the number and called Vodafone (191) to report it. They logged the various messages and source numbers and eventually offered to change my mobile number which they did for me immediately. It was a bit of a pain to have to let contacts know but, hopefully, they will stop ... until my new number gets onto one of the spammers' lists!
MYK-IT Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 I never reply with STOP etc, as previously mentioned that's usually how they find out it's an active number. I use Mr.Number on my android (older version, not the newer S*!*" one with social networking integration) and add the numbers to the block list. I also block all withheld numbers. You could go extreme and only accept calls and texts from numbers in your phonebook only.
elsiegee40 Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Register your phone with the TPS. TPS Registration Do it for every phone you own, both landline and mobile and then remember to do it whenever you get a new number. All the school numbers are registered too! It saves a lot of hassle and if you do start receiving spam calls and texts. I have complained to the TPS about persistent spams to my son's mobile... They did stop and the TPS took action against the company concerned. It doesn't help with the international spammers, but anything to reduce the rubbish!
ZeroHour Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 The TPS though sadly doesnt cover spam texts. I have used vodafones vspam to forward contents several times as I get the accident messages a fair bit.
maniac Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Texting services can see if the message has been delivered or not in the same way as we can with services like schoolcomms and the same way you can have a delivery report returned to your mobile when you send a message, so replying to them should not make a great deal of difference as they will already know if a number exists or not. I used to get a lot of them after I ut my number in on one of the comparison websites and they irritated the hell out of me so one day I just though what the hell, I keep getting them anyway so replied STOP to some of them and amazingly they did. Mike.
MK-2 Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Hi. You are all still entitled to your £4500 pounds of compensation from your car accident. To receive it, just PM me your credit card number and CVV number. To opt out of these messages, PM me your credit card number, CVV number and the word STOP. Thanks
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