Cellphone Spam: How to Block It

I recently read an article in a major U.S. newspaper about cell phone SPAM. I have gotten some and I am sure you have, too. The author mentioned that, within days of each other, he, his wife and kids had started getting SPAM messages on their cell phones. Usually getting SPAM is just a waste of your time and email resources, but when you get it on your cell phone, unless you have an “unlimited” text plan, you pay for it. The problem is getting worse, too. So, what if you had the opportunity to “block” those messages? Interested? Read on!

Mobile SPAMMING
By now, everyone is familiar with SPAM, the unwanted advertisements to enlarge or shrink body parts or to get rich by transferring money from an emerging or third world nation to help the wife of a deposed or deceased banker or political leader. Enter SMS SPAM, SpaSMS or m-SPAM. All of these terms are used to describe Mobile SPAM. Mobile SPAM is much worse that regular SPAM for three reasons:

1. You can't delete it without opening it first (usually)

2. You have to pay for it. Yep, you pay for it because the cellphone companies charge for every text message (unless you have an unlimited plan) and the sender, as with all spam, pays nothing as they are sending the emails from a computer's e-mail program.

3. "Third, there's no way to stop it. You can't install an anti-SMS spam program on your cell phone.

So you get these SpaSMS (Mobile SPAM) that you do not want and your carrier charges you to receive. But what if you could stop it?

DISCLAIMER:
If you have a company-provided phone, particularly a Blackberry, check with your IT Department (if you have one) or your specific service provider to make sure the instructions below will not adversely affect the operation of your wireless device!

Can It Be Blocked?
It turns out, SpaSMS (Mobile SPAM) can be blocked. The method for doing it varies according to the cellular provider you are using. How does it work? Well, Mobile SPAM messages are text messages that come from the web. With AT&T, for example, the messages are sent to (your 10-digit wireless number) @txt.att.net. So these mobile SPAMMERS simply increment through all the numbers, sending the message in bulk, using simple trial and error. So, you would simply block internet text messages. That will work, but it may also block alerts, travel (hotel, airline messages, etc.) that you do want.

Procedures
The procedures to accomplish this blocking are different with each carrier. AT&T customers can go to the website and set their handset so that it receives no messages from the Internet. This does not stop text messages between phones as they are not internet-based. If you have messages that are sent to your phone that you do want to receive, AT&T will let you replace your wireless number with an alias. By using an alias, you can share that address with the people you want to be able to send text messages from the web while still blocking those from SPAMMERS. Verizon offers the same features at AT&T by going to their website. While the above options do not work with Sprint or T-Mobile, both carriers do offer some text-spam filtering options.

Specifics
Here are some steps to help you find the controls that are available for your wireless carrier:

• AT&T: Log in at mymessages.wireless.att.com. Under Preferences, you'll see the text-blocking and alias options. Here's also where you can block messages from specific e-mail addresses or Web sites.

• Verizon Wireless: Log in at vtext.com. Under Text Messaging, click Preferences. Click Text Blocking. You're offered choices to block text messages from e-mail or from the Web. Here again, you can block specific addresses or Web sites. (Here's where you set up your aliases, too.)

• Sprint: Auto-blocking is not available, but you can block specific phone numbers and addresses. To get started, log in at www.sprint.com. On the top navigation bar, click My Online Tools. Under Communication Tools, click Text Messaging. On the Compose a Text Message page, under Text Messaging Options, click Settings & Preferences. In the text box, you can enter a phone number, email address or domain (such as Comcast.net) that you want to block.

• T-Mobile: T-Mobile doesn't yet offer a "block text messages from the Internet" option. You can block all messages sent by e-mail, though, or permit only messages sent to your phone's e-mail address or alias, or create filters that block text messages containing certain phrases. It's all waiting when you log into www.t-mobile.com and click Communication Tools.

Other carriers, contact your agent.

What should you do now?
My thanks to David Pogue for writing about this process. Now you have the tools now to stop Mobile SPAM from getting into your pocket and lining those of the cellphone carriers with messages you have to pay for that you do not want! I will say again that you need to use the information provided here carefully. If you are using a Blackberry, Mobile IM forwarding, etc. these suggestions for stopping mobile SPAM may impact your device. If you have problems, you (or your IT Department) should contact your carrier. If you have questions or comments about this article, contact me (JohnBoline@hagerman.com).
 

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