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Spam text messages

I have received several spam text messages advertising services from domains such as phonetrack.us. They use different URLs, but it's all the same crud: "Your lover is cheating, we can track them." When you go to the Website (which I have NEVER done from one of the text messages directly), they are one of those $9.99/month "subscriptions services."

I'm trying to figure out how to block this stuff. All of these spam texts have come from e-mail addresses, not from phone numbers. I have put premium SMS blocking in place and listed some URLs to be blocked. However, the most recent one was from an address @yahoo.com. I tried to contact that address, but of course it no longer exists. I have reported this to Yahoo. But there's no point blocking a nonexistent e-mail address, and I wouldn't want to block all messages sent from Yahoo addresses.

Does anyone have ideas about ways to prevent these spam texts? They're costing me $.20 apiece, but it's mainly the aggravation. I don't want to block all text messages, or even all text messages sent by e-mail, since I might get some legitimate ones from friends or family. Please let me know if others are having this problem, and if there is any way to stop this harassment. I have sent an e-mail to Verizon customer support, but I'd like to hear from some of the creative folks here too.

One more thing: how did these turkeys get my cell number? This never happened when I was with AT&T; it only started since I moved to Verizon a few months ago.

Comments

Wildman

This has been a ongoing issue lately, try changing the info below.

If messages has a contact number you can block them at https://nbillpay.verizonwireless.com/vzw/secure/messageIntercept/messageInterceptHome.action
Block all Premium Messages at https://nbillpay.verizonwireless.com/vzw/accountholder/uc/UCServiceBlocks.action
And consider trying a 3rd party SMS like handcent that has a option to block these text messages..

Dave-in-Decatur

I've already blocked premium messages and some numbers and URLs, but it doesn't stop these messages that are coming in from e-mail addresses. I hadn't thought of a 3rd party app; I may have to try that. I also need to see if I can get Verizon to remove the charges for these messages from my bill.

Ann154

In the same place where you can block premium messages in you MyVerizon account, you can also block messages from email address/internet websites.

Dave-in-Decatur

Right. However, you either have to specify specific URLs and e-mail addresses, or else block all e-mail or Web-originated SMS. That's perfectly reasonable, but the problem is that these particular spammers are well organized enough to use throw-away e-mail addresses, a different one every time. The only solution would be to block all e-mail text messages, and I don't quite want to do that.

Honestly, I'm not sure there is a solution to this, although I'm hopeful that action through the federal no-call list may have some effect; and hopeful that Verizon will give me my money back for spam texts.

What I do wish is that someone could tell me how these guys got my cell number. I'm convinced it happened after our switch to Verizon, suggesting a leak of some kind at VZW. Obviously not a huge leak, or there'd be massive protests. And who knows how or who (if anyone) is to blame. It's a fairly minor annoyance, but of the intrusive sort that I don't happen to tolerate well.

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