Text message scam

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#420584 22-Dec-2010 18:27

freitasm: Interesting. Reading their &Cs, it seems just replying "STOP" is not enough.

You have to reply STOP and a two letter code corresponding to the services you "subscribed" to - if you know it.

Can someone pass that information onto Telecom/Vodafone/2degrees as it breaks the TCF rules regarding opt out. A straight STOP message has to be sufficient.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

freitasm

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#420591 22-Dec-2010 19:09

I actually wrote about these Premium SMS services back in mid-2009: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/freitasm/6667, after one of our Geekzone users was hit by the Facebook SMS scam.

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#420593 22-Dec-2010 19:13

openmedia:
freitasm: Interesting. Reading their &Cs, it seems just replying "STOP" is not enough.

You have to reply STOP and a two letter code corresponding to the services you "subscribed" to - if you know it.

Can someone pass that information onto Telecom/Vodafone/2degrees as it breaks the TCF rules regarding opt out. A straight STOP message has to be sufficient.

I will pass this onto the correct person now in Vodafone NZ

Thanks John

Talkiet

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#420627 22-Dec-2010 20:23

While at least the "STOP" issue appears to run foul of the law... I can't see how they can start charging someone without that person (or someone with their phone) acknowledging... Does anyone have an example of a site doing that?

If we're going to nail one site being a bad guy, might as well give the various commercial and legal teams a few to do :-)

Cheers - N

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#420652 22-Dec-2010 21:14

freitasm: I actually wrote about these Premium SMS services back in mid-2009: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/freitasm/6667, after one of our Geekzone users was hit by the Facebook SMS scam.

Yes, reading this with great interest...

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Skolink

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#420802 23-Dec-2010 08:09

Talkiet: Are you saying this site (when up) is able to place a premium charge onto a phone without confirmation from the account holder (or someone having access to their phone?)

Yes, that's exactly what happened. My workmate has never visited nz.funmobile.com (or any variant) or sent an SMS to subscribe to any service. She has only ever bought goods online through Trademe. It seems it was completely unsolicited, and there absolutely was no double opt-in.

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#420803 23-Dec-2010 08:18

And your friend never requested a SMS from one of those TV ads?

And she never entered her phone into Facebook, then started a Facebook App which had a "we will send the results to your mobile phone, just click Accept" allowing Facebook to disclose her mobile number to this Facebook App?

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#420815 23-Dec-2010 08:42

freitasm: And your friend never requested a SMS from one of those TV ads?

And she never entered her phone into Facebook, then started a Facebook App which had a "we will send the results to your mobile phone, just click Accept" allowing Facebook to disclose her mobile number to this Facebook App?

Even if they did put their number in facebook and allow an app to see it, there is still no double opt in and anyone could have put the number in. I get plenty of texts intended for other people on one of my phones, so people clearly have issues getting numbers right. If some idiot FBer gets confused entering their number and puts +6421 02xxxxxxxxxx as happens often then I can see it happening.

Richard rich.ms

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#420817 23-Dec-2010 08:44

I am not disputing that. I am just trying to find out where/how the number leaked. If it wasn't by any of these means (website, TV ad, Facebook App), then we could think of someone maliciously entering the number on the website, or the website owner harvesting numbers (from White Pages, websites, etc).

VinLew

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#421162 23-Dec-2010 22:31

Is it be possible for carriers to introduce a feature that allows SMS subscription services to be blocked from a number? ie, I could txt "block" to 1234 and that would disable all txt subscription services from my prepaid/postpaid account,

ArcticSilver

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#421456 25-Dec-2010 01:36

VinLew: Is it be possible for carriers to introduce a feature that allows SMS subscription services to be blocked from a number? ie, I could txt "block" to 1234 and that would disable all txt subscription services from my prepaid/postpaid account,

I think this should be a feature. I think its frankly ridiculous that they allow these obviously misleading scams.

"Get my results", "See my score" etc is NOT "Sign up for Subscription"

They try to hide this fact everywhere they can, it is a scam, it isn't obvious and it prey's on the unsuspecting.

I am very disappointed at the current responses from ISP's. There is no harm in offering a opt out. "Double opt in" does NOT cut it.

raytaylor

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#421489 25-Dec-2010 12:25

What pisses me off is the advertising they use.
Crap like "Click on the box to win a prize" or "What year did the titanic sink: A) 1900 B) 1912 C) 1920..."
Nothing related at all to the funmobile or mobile phone related themes in the advertising banners.

Then when someone clicks to answer the question they are taken to a completley unrelated mobile tones site that wants your number.
False advertsing - its a bait and switch i reckon.

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crazed

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#421531 25-Dec-2010 21:01

I was hit twice last year by similar subscription services, neither of which I knowingly subscribed to. I'm sorry but I hate with a passion, Auto-Opt-in or cellphone subscription services.

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Skolink

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#421796 27-Dec-2010 09:50

freitasm: And your friend never requested a SMS from one of those TV ads?

And she never entered her phone into Facebook, then started a Facebook App which had a "we will send the results to your mobile phone, just click Accept" allowing Facebook to disclose her mobile number to this Facebook App?

Never from one of those ads. She has however put her number into Facebook, and in the past accpeted App invitations from friends. So that may be the source. She definitely didn't opt in (knowingly).

raytaylor

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#421848 27-Dec-2010 12:44

So what would we do if we wanted to have a law passed that allows people to disable subscription services on their cellphone bills. Similar to 0900 blocking.
I say simply force telecom, voda and 2deg to have a blocking mechanism on these scams so you cannot accidentally sign up in the first place via the bait and switch advertising online.

Ray Taylor

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