My first scam encounter via text message

[cameo]

I wonder if anybody else had a similar encounter yet. If not, consider
it a fair warning.

About a week ago, just after I refilled my prepaid balance with another
$30 monthly charge from CallingMart, I got a text message that looked
like it came from T-Mobile and let me know that as a good customer I won
an iPad and only needed to answer a few questions to verify that I was
who I was. Pressing an agreement button led me to some web site that
asked some general questions, including my phone number. Soon it became
obvious that these guys are trying to sell me something and not giving
me an iPad, so I terminated that session before comitting to anything. I
thought that was the end of it. But soon after that I started getting a
couple or so spam texts a day that I never got before. I just deleted
them. Then, I happened to check my available prepaid balance again,
fully expecting to see that $30 there, but to my surprise it was now
down to $20.01! What the heck happened, I thought. I immediately started
suspecting those recent scam text messages as the culprits and called up
T-Mo Customer Care about it. She checked my charges and found a $9.99
charge there for some subscription that I supposedly did. I told here
that was a scam charge and I asked her to cancel that charge immediately
and block any similar charges in the future as the only charges I want
to see is their $30 monthly 4G prepaid charges. After all, that's why I
refilled only $30 every month.

Fortunately she was able to immediately reverse that scam charge and
also suggested how to get rid off those unsolicited text messages in the
future. Lucky for me that I am on an unlimited text plan, otherwise even
those would cost me 20 cents a pop.

This is the first time I encountered unsolicited texts such as these.
Apparently registering my phone number in the federal do-not-call
registry does not apply to texting. I also wonder now if CallingMart
sells these numbers to the scammers. Anyone else noticed it?

[tlvp]

On Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:56:46 -0700, cameo wrote:

> ... unsolicited texts ...
> ... Anyone else noticed it?

Yup. Lots. One Page Plus number I had been assigned once had previously
been issued to a dead-beat, who was now getting phoned a dozen or more
times a day by her various collection agencies trying to collect, and sent
text messages by all sorts of nefarious sites she'd signed up with. (I just
let that account lapse.)

Just today, a more normal Page Plus number I use got the following text:

> Celebrate 4th of July with new Big Barn World items! Baby Eagles, Popsicle Flag Trees and Fried Chicken! http://m.airg.ca/july4bbw .

(Beware the link, I can't vouch for its safety!) Sender was 299-47.

That was perhaps the 5th Big Barn World or AirG.ca text I'd received in as
many months, and, not sure whether a disreputable service would actually
honor such a simple unsubscribe request or not, I tried sending a REPLY
with text "STOP". In fact, within two minutes, another text arrived at my
handset, from the same 299-47, saying:

> You will no longer receive messages from airG. Call 18776355552 for info. Msg&Data Rates May Apply.

I certainly hope so ... but we shall see.

Meanwhile, as a side issue: anyone here know anything about AirG.ca, or Big
Barn, or the short-code and toll-free numbers 299-47 or 877-635-5552 ?

TIA! And cheers, -- tlvp
--
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP.

[tlvp]

On Wed, 4 Jul 2012 16:47:04 -0400, tlvp wrote:

>> Celebrate 4th of July with new Big Barn World items! Baby Eagles, Popsicle Flag Trees and Fried Chicken! http://m.airg.ca/july4bbw .
>
> (Beware the link, I can't vouch for its safety!) Sender was 299-47.
>

> Meanwhile, as a side issue: anyone here know anything about AirG.ca, or Big
> Barn, or the short-code and toll-free numbers 299-47 or 877-635-5552 ?

Heh-heh ... google to the rescue once again -- a would-be FB competitor:

> airG is the world's best mobile social experience. Join airG today
> to connect with locals near you, discover new people from around the world
> and stay in touch with old friends. Share your world on airG. airG is
> one of the largest and fastest growing mobile social networks, with
> more than 55 million unique members worldwide. With airG you can create
> and customize your own unique profile with status updates and comments,
> search for new friends, share private messages and photos, send gifts,
> play the latest social games and so much more. For more information and
> to sign up please visit airG on your mobile phone at airg.com or online
> at www.airg.com

(sigh!) Cheers, -- tlvp

[Gordon Burditt]

> I wonder if anybody else had a similar encounter yet. If not, consider
> it a fair warning.
>
> About a week ago, just after I refilled my prepaid balance with another
> $30 monthly charge from CallingMart, I got a text message that looked
> like it came from T-Mobile and let me know that as a good customer I won

If T-Mobile knows you're a good customer, wouldn't they know your *name*?

> an iPad and only needed to answer a few questions to verify that I was
> who I was.

DO NOT "VERIFY" OVER THE PHONE unless you know who you are talking
to because YOU called THEM using a phone number you already had (not
something in an email or text sent to you).

If you receive a communication apparently personally to you that
doesn't contain YOUR NAME, chances are it's at best SPAM and at
worst a SCAM. If it does contain your name, it still might be SPAM
or a SCAM.

Beware of the phrase "participation required". It typically means
you'll have to buy something to get your prize, and probably something
that costs at least 10 times the retail price of the prize. Like
"Free iPad with purchase of Lexus". That's assuming you can get the
prize at all.

> Pressing an agreement button led me to some web site that

DO NOT PRESS "AGREEMENT" BUTTONS UNLESS YOU'VE HAD 3 INDEPENDENT
LAWYERS LOOK AT IT. If that's too expensive, and it should be
unless you are Bill Gates or Donald Trump, then it's certainly too
expensive to push that button. Chances are you agreed to pay $9.99
PER MONTH FOREVER when you pressed that, and perhaps there's
"firstborn child" and "immortal soul" clauses as well.

> asked some general questions, including my phone number. Soon it became
> obvious that these guys are trying to sell me something and not giving
> me an iPad, so I terminated that session before comitting to anything. I

You didn't read the agreement for that agreement button, did you?

> thought that was the end of it. But soon after that I started getting a
> couple or so spam texts a day that I never got before. I just deleted
> them. Then, I happened to check my available prepaid balance again,
> fully expecting to see that $30 there, but to my surprise it was now
> down to $20.01! What the heck happened, I thought. I immediately started
> suspecting those recent scam text messages as the culprits and called up
> T-Mo Customer Care about it. She checked my charges and found a $9.99
> charge there for some subscription that I supposedly did. I told here
> that was a scam charge and I asked her to cancel that charge immediately
> and block any similar charges in the future as the only charges I want
> to see is their $30 monthly 4G prepaid charges. After all, that's why I
> refilled only $30 every month.

T-Mobile has not always been so cooperative in blocking "similar
charges". I believe they are complicit in these scams because they
profit from them (the same applies to, as far as I can tell, all
mobile phone companies).

> Fortunately she was able to immediately reverse that scam charge and
> also suggested how to get rid off those unsolicited text messages in the
> future. Lucky for me that I am on an unlimited text plan, otherwise even
> those would cost me 20 cents a pop.
>
> This is the first time I encountered unsolicited texts such as these.
> Apparently registering my phone number in the federal do-not-call
> registry does not apply to texting.

Do you really think that criminals honor the do-not-call registry?

>I also wonder now if CallingMart
> sells these numbers to the scammers. Anyone else noticed it?

Who else did you give your cellular number to?

It's a very bad idea to enter contests or sweepstakes with your email
address or cellular phone number. Even if it's a legit sweepstakes,
count on getting spammed more. Where do you think they get money to
buy those iPads and other fantastic prizes? Advertisers (a polite
word for spammers).

[Joe Dee]

On Wed, 4 Jul 2012 15:56:46 -0400, cameo wrote
(in article <jt271s$kkf$1...@dont-email.me>):

> I wonder if anybody else had a similar encounter yet. If not, consider
> it a fair warning.

<snip>

> called up
> T-Mo Customer Care about it. She checked my charges and found a $9.99
> charge there for some subscription that I supposedly did. I told here
> that was a scam charge and I asked her to cancel that charge immediately
> and block any similar charges in the future as the only charges I want
> to see is their $30 monthly 4G prepaid charges. After all, that's why I
> refilled only $30 every month.
>
> Fortunately she was able to immediately reverse that scam charge and
> also suggested how to get rid off those unsolicited text messages in the
> future.

Yes, on one of the lines on my family plan. My son went somewhere exploring
as the result of a text message he got. The $9.99 charges started appearing
but because I wasn't smart enough to check the bills that closely (they vary
from month to month but are generally in the same vicinity) that charge
appeared every month for 8 months before I got wise.

I asked him if it was legit and he had no idea what it was.

T-Mo CS comes through again: I called, explained, pleaded my case and got all
those charges reversed and a block put on his line. Not that he would do it
again wittingly: I didn't want to take the chance.


--
Joe Dee
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator,
but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
   -- WH Auden

[Todd Allcock]

At 04 Jul 2012 12:56:46 -0700 cameo wrote:

> I wonder if anybody else had a similar encounter yet. If not, consider
> it a fair warning.

<snip scan text story>

> This is the first time I encountered unsolicited texts such as these.
> Apparently registering my phone number in the federal do-not-call
> registry does not apply to texting. I also wonder now if CallingMart
> sells these numbers to the scammers. Anyone else noticed it?

I get spam texts occasionally, starting long before I ever heard of or
used Callingmart.

The timing, I'm sure, was just a coincidence.

It's easy enough for spammers to get your number and know you're on T-Mo
without Callingmart's involvement. It's easy. Like most mobile operators,
T-Mo has an email to SMS gateway. To send you a text I just have to email
your_pho...@tmomail.net. Email is essentially free, so I can just
email every number from 0000000001 to 99999...@tmomail.net. Every
email sent to a invalid number will bounce back, but every valid number
goes through, amazing each recipient that I somehow knew they were a T-Mo
user, with a special offer just for them.

If I'm smart, I rig the URL in the link to be unique to your text (e.g.
ww.spammyspam.com/crappyoffer/ref=(your_phone_number) so when you respond
to my spam offer, I capture your phone number and bundle them with the
other victims' numbers for sale to other spanners.

Presumably, somewhere in the series of pages you had to slog through to
"win" the free iPad, the fine print told you you'd be subscribing to some
$10/month text service when you clicked "next" or "submit" or whatever.
You're lucky you only subscribed to one service!

[cameo]

On 7/4/2012 2:16 PM, Todd Allcock wrote:

> It's easy enough for spammers to get your number and know you're on T-Mo
> without Callingmart's involvement. It's easy. Like most mobile operators,
> T-Mo has an email to SMS gateway. To send you a text I just have to email
> your_pho...@tmomail.net. Email is essentially free, so I can just
> email every number from 0000000001 to 99999...@tmomail.net. Every
> email sent to a invalid number will bounce back, but every valid number
> goes through, amazing each recipient that I somehow knew they were a T-Mo
> user, with a special offer just for them.
>
> If I'm smart, I rig the URL in the link to be unique to your text (e.g.
> ww.spammyspam.com/crappyoffer/ref=(your_phone_number) so when you respond
> to my spam offer, I capture your phone number and bundle them with the
> other victims' numbers for sale to other spanners.

That's definitely a plausible scenario.

> Presumably, somewhere in the series of pages you had to slog through to
> "win" the free iPad, the fine print told you you'd be subscribing to some
> $10/month text service when you clicked "next" or "submit" or whatever.
> You're lucky you only subscribed to one service!

Actually, I was careful to press the Next button only to see what they
were upto and once I saw that they were upto no good, I bailed out
immediately. I did not press any button that suggested agreeing to
anything. But be as it may, I sure would have cought this right away if
it had been on PC, but this was new for me on the phone. Not anymore though.

[XS11E]

cameo <ca...@unreal.invalid> wrote:

> I wonder if anybody else had a similar encounter yet. If not,
> consider it a fair warning.

When I received my first spam text I called and had text messages
blocked on my phone, that block is still there years later and will
remain. Every now and then I log on to the website and make SURE the
block is still in place.

I can't send/receive text messages which is fine with me and I use Call
Control to block all calls from anyone not in my contacts list.

I don't get spam texts or spam calls and that's the way I like it!

As always, YMMV.

--
XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project:
http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/

[cameo]

On 7/5/2012 9:51 AM, XS11E wrote:

> When I received my first spam text I called and had text messages
> blocked on my phone, that block is still there years later and will
> remain. Every now and then I log on to the website and make SURE the
> block is still in place.
>
> I can't send/receive text messages which is fine with me and I use Call
> Control to block all calls from anyone not in my contacts list.
>
> I don't get spam texts or spam calls and that's the way I like it!

That would be extreme for me as I do exchange text messages with friends
and family.

[XS11E]

Ask yourself why and then think about it for awhile....

There's email, you could call or .......

[Allodoxaphobia]

Ahhh... But you can change the email address for the t-mobile
phone from 99955...@t-mobile.com (or whatever it is - don't remember
just now) to a non-fone-number userid. I did that YEARS ago after
getting spam that-a-way (and paying for each one received.)

I also don't remember the clickety-clickety route I had to take through
the t-mobile web site to drill down to where that can be changed.
No matter -- really -- because I'm positive the web site had been
'enhanced' many times since then to 'improve' customer service.

Jonesy

[cameo]

On 7/5/2012 7:55 PM, Allodoxaphobia wrote:

> Ahhh... But you can change the email address for the t-mobile
> phone from 99955...@t-mobile.com (or whatever it is - don't remember
> just now) to a non-fone-number userid. I did that YEARS ago after
> getting spam that-a-way (and paying for each one received.)
>
> I also don't remember the clickety-clickety route I had to take through
> the t-mobile web site to drill down to where that can be changed.
> No matter -- really -- because I'm positive the web site had been
> 'enhanced' many times since then to 'improve' customer service.

Yes, I know about that route but many people just prefer the convenience
of text messages for short info. That includes me.

[tlvp]

On Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:43:51 -0700, XS11E wrote:

> Ask yourself why and then think about it for awhile....

Nothing to think about, it's the solution that works, when ,,,

> There's email, you could call or .......

... other email is unavailable and phoning is out of the question.

Anyway, an SMS *is* a sort of email. And when no other device for sending
an email is at hand, cellular SMS is just perfect ... incoming or outgoing.

Typical scenario: I'm in a Faculty meeting, it's running late, my spouse
texts me to ask, "Much longer now?" Or I report, "They're running over, but
I hope it won't go over by more than half an hour."

No way to get away with doing that by voice; no way to get access to one of
the university internet-connected terminals to send an email; but the
cellular handset's SMS qua SMS service, or SMS-to-email service, or the
WSP's email-to-SMS gatewaying service -- jes' perfect, thank you :-) !

Try it, you'll like it, too :-) .

[tlvp]

On 6 Jul 2012 02:55:19 GMT, Allodoxaphobia wrote:

> On Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:32:09 -0700, cameo wrote:
>>
>> That would be extreme for me as I do exchange text messages with friends
>> and family.
>
> Ahhh... But you can change the email address for the t-mobile
> phone from 99955...@t-mobile.com (or whatever it is - don't remember
> just now) to a non-fone-number userid. I did that YEARS ago after
> getting spam that-a-way (and paying for each one received.)

Actually, the spammers do shotgun mailings to *all* the conceivable two-,
three-, and four-letter userIDs at tmomail.net, and all the longer
real-first-name strings as well, so having a non-phone-number userID
doesn't really help all that much unless it's a real password of a userID.

Fortunately, t-mobile has pretty good spam filters in place (I only
discovered that one two-day period a few years ago when their filters broke
down, and my handset -- and many hundreds more posting to complain in the
t-Mo Forums -- got deluged with .RU-originating pharmaceutical spam).

Apart from that occasion, and the occasional SMS from someone texting a
friend but getting the 10-digit destination wrong, neither my numerical nor
my alphabetic SMS address get much unexpected garbage at all.

[XS11E]

tlvp <mPiOsUcB...@att.net> wrote:

> Anyway, an SMS *is* a sort of email. And when no other device for
> sending an email is at hand, cellular SMS is just perfect ...
> incoming or outgoing.

Yes, spammers love it!

> Typical scenario: I'm in a Faculty meeting, it's running late, my
> spouse texts me to ask, "Much longer now?" Or I report, "They're
> running over, but I hope it won't go over by more than half an
> hour."

More typical senario: "Want a larger penis?" or "Viagra, Cialis,
Levitra on sale NOW!"

> No way to get away with doing that by voice; no way to get access
> to one of the university internet-connected terminals to send an
> email; but the cellular handset's SMS qua SMS service, or
> SMS-to-email service, or the WSP's email-to-SMS gatewaying service
> -- jes' perfect, thank you :-) !

As is my 4G signal for sending an email.

> Try it, you'll like it, too :-) .

Nope, I already have a larger penis, thanks anyway.

[Allodoxaphobia]

Ya... Well... Give out your new, non-fone-nu...@t-mobile.com
to the folks you wish to exchange messages with.

Jonesy

[cameo]

On 7/5/2012 11:13 PM, tlvp wrote:
> ... other email is unavailable and phoning is out of the question.
>
> Anyway, an SMS *is* a sort of email. And when no other device for sending
> an email is at hand, cellular SMS is just perfect ... incoming or outgoing.

Not to mention that SMS does not require data connection which is still
not that universal with T-Mobile. I often find spots with poor or
non-existent data but usable cell connection for calling and texting.

[tlvp]

On Fri, 06 Jul 2012 06:34:29 -0700, XS11E wrote:

> tlvp <mPiOsUcB...@att.net> wrote:
>
>> Anyway, an SMS *is* a sort of email. And when no other device for
>> sending an email is at hand, cellular SMS is just perfect ...
>> incoming or outgoing.
>
> Yes, spammers love it!
>
>> Typical scenario: I'm in a Faculty meeting, it's running late, my
>> spouse texts me to ask, "Much longer now?" Or I report, "They're
>> running over, but I hope it won't go over by more than half an
>> hour."
>
> More typical senario: "Want a larger penis?" or "Viagra, Cialis,
> Levitra on sale NOW!"

Sorry your mileage varies so greatly from mine. But, to each his own.

[Frater Mus]

On 07/05/2012 11:51 AM, XS11E wrote:

> When I received my first spam text I called and had text messages
> blocked on my phone, that block is still there years later and will
> remain. Every now and then I log on to the website and make SURE the
> block is still in place.
>
> I can't send/receive text messages which is fine with me and I use Call
> Control to block all calls from anyone not in my contacts list.
>
> I don't get spam texts or spam calls and that's the way I like it!

I had to call 2x to get mine turned off, but I'm much happier. I run a
prepaid SIM and was paying 10c per spam.

Now I just hide behind my Google Voice number and only text from there.


--
http://www.mousetrap.net/mouse/
written offline, synced later

[Frater Mus]

On 07/06/2012 01:13 AM, tlvp wrote:

> an email is at hand, cellular SMS is just perfect ... incoming or outgoing.
>
> Typical scenario: I'm in a Faculty meeting, it's running late, my spouse
> texts me to ask, "Much longer now?" Or I report, "They're running over, but
> I hope it won't go over by more than half an hour."

I do think SMS can be useful and valid *but* I wanted the ability to
control who sends me SMS so I don't get dinged. A whitelist would be
perfect.


TMO couldn't/wouldn't do that so I turned messaging off.

[Joe Dee]

On Sat, 7 Jul 2012 05:00:16 -0400, Frater Mus wrote
(in article <jt9cu2$72h$2...@dont-email.me>):

> On 07/06/2012 01:13 AM, tlvp wrote:
>
>> an email is at hand, cellular SMS is just perfect ... incoming or outgoing.
>>
>> Typical scenario: I'm in a Faculty meeting, it's running late, my spouse
>> texts me to ask, "Much longer now?" Or I report, "They're running over, but
>> I hope it won't go over by more than half an hour."
>
> I do think SMS can be useful and valid *but* I wanted the ability to
> control who sends me SMS so I don't get dinged. A whitelist would be
> perfect.
>
>
> TMO couldn't/wouldn't do that so I turned messaging off.
>
>
>

Android? Have a look at go sms pro (free) which includes blacklist and
whitelist options. Also backup & restore.

--
Joe

[Gordon Burditt]

> Android? Have a look at go sms pro (free) which includes blacklist and
> whitelist options. Also backup & restore.

Does sms pro have the ability to get charges for blacklisted or
non-whitelisted SMS reversed? That's an extremely clever app if
it is able to auto-call Customer Service and argue with them
successfully.

[Joe Dee]

On Sun, 8 Jul 2012 05:04:24 -0400, Gordon Burditt wrote
(in article <8YKdnXvW_uaF0GTS...@posted.internetamerica>):

Yes, and on Wednesdays it will wash your car.

[cameo]

On 7/8/2012 5:00 AM, Joe Dee wrote:
>> Does sms pro have the ability to get charges for blacklisted or
>> non-whitelisted SMS reversed? That's an extremely clever app if
>> it is able to auto-call Customer Service and argue with them
>> successfully.
>>
>>
>
> Yes, and on Wednesdays it will wash your car.

Then I want it, too!

[Frater Mus]

On 07/07/2012 08:35 AM, Joe Dee wrote:
> On Sat, 7 Jul 2012 05:00:16 -0400, Frater Mus wrote

>> I do think SMS can be useful and valid *but* I wanted the ability to
>> control who sends me SMS so I don't get dinged. A whitelist would be
>> perfect.
>>
>>
>> TMO couldn't/wouldn't do that so I turned messaging off.
>>
>>
>>
>
> Android? Have a look at go sms pro (free) which includes blacklist and
> whitelist options. Also backup& restore.

AFAIK 'listing SMS at the handheld doesn't stop the SMS from being
/sent/ by the carrier, and therefore doesn't stop the per-SMS charge.

If it did I'd just /dev/null them at the phone and carry on with my life.

'listing phonecalls is fine, since it results in a no-charge voicemail
(should the spammer choose to leave one).