Mobile Friends spam

Chris Brooks · From: Providence, Rhode Island

Wiz, anybody . . .

I keep getting this spam from SMS.ac "inviting" me to join my friend such-and-such.

It is spam. A Goggle search reveal lots of people get it. Lots of people don't want it.

When you click the button, does it take over your address book?

No way will I "unsubscribe": hah!

SMS.ac is in San Diego.

Any ideas on filtering it out . . . or nuking the people at SMS.ac?

Thanks in advance,

Chris

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

Chris;
I googled on this subject and found that a lot of cellphone users are being spammed with these text messages, which come from a company in the Ascension Islands. There is no way to stop them from spamming you with text messages, but, you might consider asking your phone service to turn OFF SMS text messages for your cellphone.

If you have been receiving SMS messages that you do want, from friends, tell these people to leave a voicemail message instead, or to use email.

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

There is more about this scam in the Wikipedia, on this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sms.ac

Apparently, when people join up for this "service" they are prompted to give their hotmail email address, and import their hotmail addressbook. The company then spams everybody on the contact list of the fool who signed up for this scam service.

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage

Dave Potter · From: Texas

Never heard of 'em till now, but MAN, a quick Google search and they're all over the place. Googled "Groups" too, and nothing but complaints about 'em from all over the world.

On their home page, I see they invite folks to use them to send "free" SMS text messages, using their "SMS.ac ID" or mobile number. Now that I've seen all the complaints about them, I wouldn't register to get an "SMS.ac ID" an a bet. And one complainer mentions getting charges on his phone bill, so giving them a mobile number looks a little risky too.

Just loading their site put four cookies on my machine; they're gone now, and I've blocked them from setting any more cookies.

Most email software has ways to filter out or block this kind of thing using various methods. You might want to investigate that, depending on what you're using. I also use a spam filter called Choicemail that offers a multiplicity of ways to keep spam from ever getting to my email software, Netscape. I can reject domains, like "sms.ac", so anything coming from that domain gets trashed before I ever see it. Lots of things you can do along those lines.

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

Dave;
The spam being discussed in this thread is coming in SMS text messages to cellphones, not in emails. It is more insideous because recipients have to pay up to $1.00 per message for receiving it, most of which goes to sms.ac, and the rest going to your cellular provider. I would recommend that all cellphone users who don't require text messaging have the service deactivated on their cellular accounts. If not, your provider will gladly collect these charges against your account.

Wiz

Dave Potter · From: Texas

quote:
Dave;
The spam being discussed in this thread is coming in SMS text messages to cellphones, not in emails.

Wiz-I was responding to what the OP posted. He didn't say anything about cellphones, and he *did* ask about his "address book", which goes to a PC-related issue, in my mind. I did mention cellphone-related risks in my post as well.

[This message was edited by Dave Potter on 21 January 2006 at 05:16 PM.]

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

Chris;
Are you getting these messages in your email or on your cellphone? There seems to be some confusion.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

"The Ascension Islands". ???? There is only one Ascension Island and it's only populated by a small contingent of English communications personnel and a small contingent of US Missle Tracking Station Personnel.

I worked at both the Air Force Eastern Test Range missle tracking station (and on the Gemini project) for RCA Service Co, and later at the NASA "Apollo" tracking station for Bendix Field Engineering.

Rickey Littleton, a forum member, was on Ascension Island (tracking staion) up until about two years ago.

Chris Brooks · From: Providence, Rhode Island

Sorry, guys,

The spam is coming to my Hotmail account. I don't have text messaging and didn't realize it comes through those too!

So it is not costing me any money but simply effort to delete one message a week.

What jerks these guys are.

Thanks for your suggestions, Wiz et al. I'll check my filters.

Chris

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

Chris;
Thanks for clarifying that for me. I got the wrong impression after looking up the company on Google. I thought you were getting SMS spam text messages.

You can add all incoming SMS.AC invites to your blocked senders list, by sender's email address, unless they are really coming from friends computers (I don't think so).

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage

Chris Brooks · From: Providence, Rhode Island

Of course, why didn't I think of that simple solution, Wiz?

I have in fact been trying to e mail my friend who may not even know that this company is doing this.

Thanks!

Chris

Forum Index > Computers		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: