Spammed ads/services through mobile phone

**ghosthunter** · November 23rd, 2008 12:22 AM

Is it just me or is there a lot of other people getting unsolicited ads via their mobile phones? These ads aren't the usual pushed ads from mobile service providers via their special numbers. These ads are using regular mobile numbers (like 0915XXXXXX) and advertising stuff like car loans, money loans, real estate deals, special "seminars", etc.

I find it rather irritating. Although I have a mobile call/sms blocker application in where I can add the unwanted ad sender's number, a new ad would arrive via a new number. I could set the software to reject all unknown/unlisted numbers but it would end up rejecting legitimate calls/sms that are currently unlisted in my mobile phone.

Currently the number of unsolicited ads are relatively manageble but I wouldn't be surprised if it would become similar to the scale of spam email in the near future.

**boybi** · November 23rd, 2008 12:26 AM

I've also been receiving spam smses for quite sometime already. Usually mga special loans ekek. Where do these people get our numbers?

**ghosthunter** · November 23rd, 2008 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by boybi

I've also been receiving spam smses for quite sometime already. Usually mga special loans ekek. Where do these people get our numbers?

From some who actually replied to such a query of mine, random or via a complied list of numbers.

**rion** · November 23rd, 2008 12:07 PM

from what I hear, one smart branch gives away their client's gold plan holders. even a provincial electric company gives away their customers tel no., those with huge bills...

from what I hear lang ito, but my source is very reliable, but secret nalang kung saan location.

**safeorigin** · November 23rd, 2008 12:43 PM

let's bust these guys

**j_avonni** · November 23rd, 2008 02:28 PM

I also receive them. Rather than get irritated, I just ignore and delete them.

:beer: [SIZE="1"]3808[/SIZE]

**ghosthunter** · November 23rd, 2008 06:01 PM

I have just installed a new mobile phone inbox filtering software. It can be used to filter out pesky spam messages by detecting certain message patterns. One can use word pairs like "cash loans" or "investment opportunity" and such.

Hopefully SMS spamming wouldn't reach the level of generic viagra...

Only time would tell how effective this would be though.

**ghosthunter** · November 23rd, 2008 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by j_avonni

I also receive them. Rather than get irritated, I just ignore and delete them.

:beer: [SIZE="1"]3808[/SIZE]

Kinda hard to ignore when it wakes you from a restful sleep on Sunday morning at 6:30am.

**ghosthunter** · November 23rd, 2008 06:12 PM

I just thought of something. In other countries, mobile telco and other companies make some extra money by selling their customer contact info database to direct marketing companies. I assume the information would include your mobile phone number since all the spam I have been getting is through my Globe number and not through my SUN line.

If these companies would be using random phone numbers, the SUN line would have been the more likely number to get more "spams" because of SUN's P150/month unlimited txt loads. Yet this is not the case.

I feel violated and kinda robbed of my privacy. :bottom:

**j_avonni** · November 23rd, 2008 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

Kinda hard to ignore when it wakes you from a restful sleep on Sunday morning at 6:30am.

When I sleep or rest, I turn off my message tone as I consider text messages not emergency. It can wait till I wake up. But I keep the ringing tone on for emergency calls.

:beer: [SIZE="1"]3809[/SIZE]