Unsettling text to my usb modem device...

I found out today I receieved a text from Yahoo Astrology on my usb modem. First off, how did that even happen when I never singed up for any such texting plans? Second, how did Verizon even allow that text to go through, since I just wanted internet, not a texting plan. I shouldn't even receive texts on this thing by default; that's dumb. Is Verizon sending my info to Yahoo?

If anyone knows how this happened, please tell me! I don't want to get spam on my brand new usb device... I just got it yesterday! And I certainly don't want to have been charged for that dumb horrorscope thing that I never asked for; they apparently knew my phone number before I did.

Accepted answers

najach

Wow, just talking to myself, I guess. Well, in case anyone else finds texts on their usb modem...

Yes, Verizon gave me a number that had already been signed up for astrology texts from Yahoo. The text blocker did not work (I still don't know why), so they just gave me a new number. I saw they charged me $15 for it, and charges for the texts... all without telling me it was going to cost $15. I went back to the store and talked with them, and they took back those charges since it was all a mistake; I was never meant to get those texts and my reason for changing numbers exempts me from the $15.

Problem solved!

Now if only they'd fix the access manager and website to avoid my problems... make the text blocker actually work, and show true data allowance instead of what my plan says. The access manager should come with a live bandwidth tracker (they're only a few hundred kb of code... instead of wasting code for launching applications when my own desktop/taskbar shortcuts work just fine), as well as the few extra lines of code to calculate how much data we're really allowed (especially when signing up in the middle of a billing cycle).

Oh, and in case anyone is reading this and still wondering about the "unsettling part"... those astrology texts just happen to be the same sign as me. That's all. It was creepy.

All comments

dellfan

Yahoo recently got really intrusive with me, too. I've had yahoo mail forever, but the other day I signed on, and my real name and age and location blasted out at me. I had to then go around the site and check off that I didn't want all this stuff displayed for anyone and everyone to read. Yahoo it is is getting into the social networking frenzy and it's not making me happy. Perhaps they had some info on you that they used to send you that text.

najach

Great message blocking Verizon! I set it yesterday to block all sms messages, blocked yahoo, shine.yahoo, astrology.com... and I STILL got another astrology message today. I've tried blocking that number, but since I can't just block the number (it has to have an @something) I placed it at the web link they have at the bottom of the text.

I checked my Yahoo account, and they hardly have any info on me... only what I told them. They don't have any phone numbers, I didn't give my yahoo address to Verizon, I don't have any premium sms signed up for, so I don't know how this is happening.

The only thing I can think of is that this phone number on my usb760 used to belong to someone else. I don't know how to get these things to stop. Yahoo doesn't have any info on me.... so I guess I'll try to go to that astrology place and try to get them to stop, since Verizon can't handle blocking messages.

najach

Nope, can't find anything on yahoo or shine. I don't even see how you sign up for horrorscope texts in the first place. But the only way they could have got this number, besides tracking it if I went to any site related to yahoo, is that someone else had this number or signed up for those texts with this number. As far as those sites are showing me, they have almost no info on me, and of that info only my gender is true.

I even risked going to that site, not the full thing, just the root part that should be the home page, and it looks like it's some n00b programmer/spammer. There's nothing there except the classic "Hello World!" you use to test if your site works. These are the two links that were at the bottom of each astrology text:

*Get in the paint. http://4in.fo/EEZZyQ

*Mobile upgrade? http://4in.fo/EC-tYA

I just took off the end since it seems those are just ads.

I just want these things to stop, since I ask for it, and sure the hell am not going to pay for them. Does anyone know how to help? Please?

Did Verizon just sell me a refurb as new?... That's classy.

najach

Nevermind... I exchanged the device. But that still doesn't explain how the text still got through even after setting up my account to not receive any such thing. I suppose that's my new question:

Why does the text blocker not block these texts?

najach

Wow, just talking to myself, I guess. Well, in case anyone else finds texts on their usb modem...

Problem solved!

Oh, and in case anyone is reading this and still wondering about the "unsettling part"... those astrology texts just happen to be the same sign as me. That's all. It was creepy.