How To Actually Stop MOST Text Message Spam

For those of you who have survived the Mayan Calendar “the world ends today” problem, Christmas shopping, and going back to work the day after Christmas, I have a little treat for you as you gird your loins for the New Year.

What is it?

How about an end to junk text messages on your phone? I wrote this a while back, but never got around to posting it, and with the year nearly over, it seemed like a good day to stop procrastinating.

Here goes:

ENDING UNWANTED SMS (TEXT) SPAM

So Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy are trying to give you a million dollars, you’ve won the Nokia Lottery, hot looking models want you to add them to your Skype, and in short, you have benefitted from all the things text spam has to offer. Long ago you gave up on any hope of stemming this tide. There is nothing you can do about it short of asking your carrier to block all SMS messages and giving up on texting entirely, right?

Wrong. I’m going to tell you how to get this dreck out of your life.

We tend to assume that these predators have some sort of special access to the phone system, but the truth is that the majority of SMS spam is sent using Internet gateways which are available for use by anyone, at no cost to the sender. These gateways will turn emails into SMS messages. In fact, you can try it yourself right now by sending an email to the SMS gateway for your phone:

Assuming your phone number is (555) 123-4567 and your carrier is:

AT&T -

Send a brief email to 5551234567@txt.att.net

Sprint -

Send a brief email to 5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile -

Send a brief email to 5551234567@tmomail.net

Verizon -

Send a brief email to 5551234567@vtext.com

So that’s cool, but how does it help with stopping SMS spam? (And besides, who wants to stop it now that -I- know how to do it!)

It turns out that many carriers will, upon request, block Internet email to SMS gateway text messages on your phone, while still leaving regular SMS traffic intact. This means that you can still text your children to remind them to take out the trash, do their homework, or send them virtual hugs, all without having to wade through a lot of annoying spam - YAY!

There is one more thing that you can do to help stop text spammers. If you do receive a “junk message” send it to GSMA by forwarding the message to 7726 (S P A M). This is a service used by many cell phone carriers (including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and many others around the world) to assist them in filtering out spammers. To learn more see: http://www.gsmworld.com/technicalprojects/gsma-spam-reporting-services

Now that you have your cell phone handy, why not call your carrier’s customer service number (611 from most cell phones) and get this junk out of your life?

Regards to all - Lone Stranger

Excellent article. I've thought that this site should have a tools section where articles like this should be posted. Just look at the amount of postings on this problem. Since you made it so easy, now all we have to do is send the posters of sms woes here. Cell phone uses don't know that if their phone number is between (000) 000-0000 and (999) 999-9999, how easy is it to SMS them. Then when they reply back (as they all seem to do) - we got a live one!

To add to this;
When contacting your cell carrier to inquire on Web-2-TXT blocks, each carrier may use different terminology for their service. You may have to explain that you want to block "Web or Internet based text messages" or "Text messages not sent from a cell phone".
Other useful block options would be:
Block all messages from senders not on your contact list.
Block Premium messages. (like $$ a month for "joke of the day" or "Daily Horoscope" and such)

Do report all spam messages, especially if they come for a text "short code" to your carrier or use "forward spam to 7726". A text short code is a 4 to 6 digit number, like 72404. Most legit text services use short codes, like "text football to 72404 for latest football news" and those short codes are limited, cost money for the service to use, and are regulated. If a short code owner starts using it for spam, that code can be pulled, the owner will be out the money they paid for the code, and left wide open for fines and suits.

http://gigaom.com/2007/03/16/10-things-to-know-about-short-codes/

DaFox,

You make some excellent points.  I wasn't particularly thinking about SMS service slammers when I wrote this, but it is important to have that block in place.  If there is someone who knows of one of these "services" which is actually worth having, I'd love to hear about it.

And you are also correct about carrier terminology.  In fact, the biggest barrier to getting this in place is likely to be a customer service agent who doesn't know what you are talking about.  Don't blame them though - their employers often treat them like mushrooms - keeping them in the dark, and feeding them manure.

As you say, shortcodes are expensive and can be pulled, although most real spammers don't have one.  Here is an industry insider article titled: "Short Codes Are a Scam, and SMS Marketing is Dying" to go with the link you provided in case anyone gets really interested: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/short-cod ... ere-hope-23653/

Thanks for filling in the gaps.

The link to do this with AT&T is https://mymessages.wireless.att.com/.

Recently tried the provided link but it 404 errors. Realize this is several years old, but it is still as important today as it was the day you posted it.
Your Link : http://www.gsmworld.com/technicalprojects/gsma-spam-reporting-services

VotK

Well, here's a new update for this also.

For text messages: forwarding any text message spam you get to the short code  “7726,” which spells “spam” on most phones, to alert your network operator to the abuse. ATT won't accept 7726 But they will accept BLOCK and return a message that the web site is blocked. forward the texts to 7726 or BLOCK, depending on your phone carrier.

All those spam SMS's end with the same mantra: "Txt STOP to OptOut".
When I tried to do so, I got an alert from my mobile carrier: this message may cost money.
As I know, an SMS to a short number is a METHOD OF PAYMENT: the charge (on behalf of the sender, like for a call to a 900 phone number!) will be in your next cell phone bill - the charge might be HUGE and it is very difficult to contest. By the time you SEE it in your bill, it will be just TOO LATE to contest... So, it is better to be vigilant and abstain from texting back.

What to do if you are avalanched with shortcode SMS spam? Block all texts from short codes? How about legitimate messages - important notifications from from your bank, for example?

Nothing ONE can do about it. However, WE, THE PEOPLE can do it TOGETHER.
My policy is to boycott everything advertised this way. Yes, I already have my own (pretty short) boycott list of businesses who have tried wrong approach on me. Even when (or if) I ever need similar service in the future, even if I find one of those businesses in my regular search, I will check me list and go to their competitors.
If all of us do the same, this nasty practice will become counterproductive.

Years ago WE, THE PEOPLE created "Do Not Call" list. Register your phone in this list - and all unsolicited telemarketing calls to you become illegal. Time to think about "DO NOT TEXT" list.

What would be even more powerful way WE, THE PEOPLE can stop SMS spam is to create a COMMUNITY boycott list. 50 or 100 people reported spam from some business (phone or web site) - and that phone or web site appears in this community list. Maybe this list should be accompanied with a browser extension. You found some product or service on a search engine, check it against this list - oops! This is a spammer!

After reading all the very informative posts in this very old forum thread, I now have to laugh at your posts.  Seriously?  We should all boycott businesses?  Sort of like when gas prices went up and everyone was spamming emails saying "Stop buying gas for a week and the oil companies will be on their knees"?  I think I will follow the advice previously given 5 years ago.

...another "let's all do this"...leader. Like lemmings, we should all follow this "leader".
I think not.

...what's next...a march to the sea?

Quote:

As I know, an SMS to a short number is a METHOD OF PAYMENT

Show proof.

Oh boy, a trip to the beach!! Let me grab my umbrella and sunscreen...
But, seriously, what can you really expect from a stupid little Troll that responds to a five and a half year old post in a thread that had been dead for nearly three years.
(When you think about it groups of Penguins getting ready to swim behave a bit like Lemmings.  This one would be at the back, shoving those before it.)

So, you decide to post something of "interest" and of "value" by replying to a post from over five years ago.  Start of sarcasm — I love your brilliant, clear, concise and valuable post.  I think I will take your advice.  After all, it will keep the sky from falling.  — End of sarcasm  Now, explain to us how SMS is a form of payment.  We really want to know. After all we learn somethng "new" from "intelligent" people like you on a daily basis. Your post is no doubt of recently kicked out out of the basement by cockroaches for failure to pay rent troll mentality.  Have a nice day and don’t let that door smack you on the backside.