how to i block spam texts from 5 digit numbers?

[telveer]

Off late, I have been getting a lot of spam on my VZW phone. I have been a customer for about 8 years and I did not receive any spam texts in the past -- all this started recently, in the last few months! The spam comes from 5 digit phones (ex: 95297) - so I cant block it from VZW website (the website only takes 10 digit numbers). I already blocked Web and Email based texts. How do I block texts from five digit senders? These texts are costing me a lot every month. I am not at all happy with Verizon's support for text and phone blocking.

[telveer · Accepted solution]

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telveer wrote:

Off late, I have been getting a lot of spam on my VZW phone. I have been a customer for about 8 years and I did not receive any spam texts in the past -- all this started recently, in the last few months! The spam comes from 5 digit phones (ex: 95297) - so I cant block it from VZW website (the website only takes 10 digit numbers). I already blocked Web and Email based texts. How do I block texts from five digit senders? These texts are costing me a lot every month. I am not at all happy with Verizon's support for text and phone blocking.

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Here is a quick update: I spoke to VZW. They told me that messages coming from 5-digit numbers are "Premium Services". 

These services generally charge about $10 per month. VZW asked me to send a STOP message to the sender. After I did that, I got a response from topictext.com that I would not get any more offers.

Apparently, someone had entered my phone number on their website or through some other means. I never heard about this company and I don't give my cell phone number of any website unless I am doing business with them. I also don't do surveys and even if I do, I never give  my cell phone number. All the messages I have been getting from topictext.com were trying to get me to reply Y to their message so they can charge me $9.99 per month! What a scam! If I want to bother someone real bad, all I have to do is go to topictext.com and enter their cell phone number! I am sure there are hundreds of other "Premium" service like topictext.com and just imagine what someones plight would be if someone else maliciously entered their cell phone number at all these sites

The good news is that you can ask VZW to block all premium services. I asked and they did it for free. Hopefuly, I wont get any more unwanted text. I blocked web based sms, email based sms and premium sms. That only leaves my friends and family.

BTW, if you start getting spam from regular phone numbers .. you can only block five such numbers - and that too for 90 days only. If you need to block more numbers and for longer periods, you have to pay VZW $4.99 per month for their premium blocking service. I am already paying VZW $80 per month for voice/data and this nickel-dime business from VZW is frustating, to say the least. Cell phone companies in most countries don't charge for incoming texts. VZW charges 20 cents per incoming message!!!! Same for outgoing too, where as most services (even the cheap ones) in most countries don't charge a single dime. I wish VZW stops fleecing customers for SMS messages (especially those that pay heavily for voice/data) . SMS/MMS should be thrown in for free for data plan users.

[budone]

Send a one word message to the 5 digit text number.  STOP   Do not add any other words. Also you can block premium text messages via your on line account or call CS.

[telveer]

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budone wrote:

Send a one word message to the 5 digit text number.  STOP   Do not add any other words. Also you can block premium text messages via your on line account or call CS.

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Partly correct. You can use any one of these messages to cancel a specific subscription: QUIT, STOP, END, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE

However, there is no option on VZW website online account to cancel Premium Text Messages. You HAVE to call CS

[budone]

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telveer wrote:

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budone wrote:

Send a one word message to the 5 digit text number.  STOP   Do not add any other words. Also you can block premium text messages via your on line account or call CS.

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Partly correct. You can use any one of these messages to cancel a specific subscription: QUIT, STOP, END, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE

However, there is no option on VZW website online account to cancel Premium Text Messages. You HAVE to call CS

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Telveer, I will have to respectfully disagree.

Under safeguards, I have 7 boxes I can checkmark. They are:

Block Premium Messaging

Block Ringback tone Purchases

Block VCast Music

Block Premium Animated Messaging

Block Picture and video Messaaging

Block app Downloads

Block Web Purchases

Under Block Premium Messaging, this is the definition:

Block Premium Messaging, previously known as Block Premium SMS, will prevent you from purchasing and receiving Premium Messaging on the mobile number selected . Premium Messaging programs are generally messages from a short-code (5 or 6 digits) which include a subscription or per-use fee in addition to any other charges that may apply. All other messaging services (including but not limited to text messaging, picture messaging, Animated Messaging, Premium Animated Messaging, Verizon Wireless online photo album, and text-to-landline) will continue to work as usual and will continue to be billed per your Calling Plan, Messaging Bundle or at the applicable messaging rate plus any additional fees or charges for these services.

Block Premium Messaging will cancel all current Premium Messaging programs at the time the blocking feature is activated. No credits or pro-rating will be applied to the Premium Messaging fees already incurred.

Instead of Block Premium Messaging, consider Content Filters to manage the type of messaging programs your Account Member can view and purchase. Content Filters are offered free of charge.

[SuperSnoop]

I have been a customer for years and work in IT Security. IF VZW wanted to stop this all they have to do is block ALL TEXT coming from the internet. The spammers are not dialing your number - they are blasting them out over the internet. To only be able to block 5 numbers for 90 days is pure bull. We should be able to PUT A PERMANENT BLOCK on any and all numbers.

If everyone keeps calling VZW and sending emails, maybe we can get their attention. I was offered the choice to STOP TXT - great, I have to give up a service because VZW is not willing to stop this.

I'm filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as I believe that VZW is obligated to take action as we are being charged for these texts.

[kbkbkb]

Making me angry too.  I have "block premium messaging" and still get spam from 5 digit numbers (as well as 10 digit phone numbers.)  Customer service told me to send "stop" to the text but I don't want to reply to something I never asked for to make it stop.  I don't want to confirm for the spammers that my number is working by replying to them.  CServ said if you block a 10 digit phone number they often just send it from another number,  I'm not paying Verizon an additional $5 per month (on top of minutes, texting and data usage) to be able to block more than 5 numbers for more than 90 days.  I was also told I could change my phone number.  This is my business number and on all my marketing so it's not getting changed.  This is ridiculous.  My email server allows me to check a box and mark it as junk and/or block it forever.  It should be just as easy to do it from my phone that is practically a laptop computer already.  Come on Verizon, address this issue.  It's not going to go away, just going to make us more upset.     

[mwphoneonetwo8nine]

Thanks so much for sharing your research! As far as blocking the ph# texts, there is an app called "hiya" that got high security reviews. They have a free & advanced $ version. We've used the free version for a year or two with great results. This also works for incoming spam calls.

[KH-Ornah]

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