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Cell Phone Texting .... SPAM

 
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Trying to stomp out spam, and thought this would be a good subject to get opinions on.


Got a new cell phone. And immediately got about 4 to 5 text messages spam per day. Annoying, made slightly more annoying because I have to pay to get the spam.

Put my phone on the do-not-call list. Nothing.

Talked to AT&T, and was told that I can block all text messages coming through the email portal, which I did. Since my regular email is already connected to the phone, there was no need to provide a way for someone to text me via email.

This dropped my text spam volume from almost 5 times a day to about once a week. The remaining spam are all coming from another cell phone number. Argh!!!


According to do-not-call, I can file a complaint -- and since these spams are coming from another phone number, I can easily report it... but I need to try to tell them to stop. Did a bit of research, and it looks like if I text back "STOP", they are required to remove the number from the list.

So, the plan is to text back "STOP", and if I get another spam from the same number, file a complaint to the national do-not-call list. Sounds simple right?

Except... it seems to be coming from different numbers. I have yet to receive a spam from the same number, so have not filed a complaint.


It's only once every week or so, so I am not really annoyed. However, this has become a project, and as with any project, I like perfection....

So, any opinions? How do I stomp out the remaining spam? Do you think it will eventually stop, as I send "STOP" to all the numbers? Or do you think they are faking the numbers somehow?

Henry
 
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What does the message spam about? If it's a kind of advertisement then how about you contact the customer care department of that company?

I have stopped the messaging service on my phone. But I do occasionally get marketing calls. I have saved those numbers (2 or 3 at max) with 'do not pickup'. And since I have started ignoring them, now I do not get any atall. The logic for this automated system might be ,do not call again if you do not get response. But your case is different.
 
Henry Wong
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Stopping text messages is not an option for me -- too many "be there in a few minutes" and "which entrance are you at" type of messages. Emails are sometimes slower, have to be synced with the phone, and just isn't as satisfying for me (actually, it works very well for me, but not for everyone who I text with, is the better answer).

Its just generic spam -- with no company attached -- such as "having IRS issues, blah blah, text back yes tp get a call from us. blah blah".


For actual phone calls.... In the US, it is against federal law to telemarket calls on the national do-not-call list. There are many loopholes with it, but if you tell them to stop calling them, it closes most of them. I always pickup and tell them, "this phone blah blah blah do-not-call blah blah blah or I will report you". click. It works very well, and it is very satisfying -- so I always pickup.

Having said that, I haven't had a telemarketing call in years, at home. Did it a few times with the new cell phone, but like home, those should stop soon. I am more interested in the text stuff, because there isn't a human that I can threaten on the other end to stop.

Henry

 
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Henry Wong wrote:
Its just generic spam -- with no company attached -- such as "having IRS issues, blah blah, text back yes tp get a call from us. blah blah".



Text back Yes. When you get a call request them not to call again.
 
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