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Spammers Start Abusing Cell Phones

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the it's-only-gonna-get-worse dept.

slimyrubber writes "Just when you thought that spam couldnt get any worst, Cell phones are becoming the latest target of electronic junk mail, with a growing number of marketers using text messages to target subscribers. Is cell-phone spam likely to evolve into something that big, something approaching the scale of e-mail spam? Not if you help to kill SMS spam where it starts. Hopefully."

7 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm. by mindstrm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I seem to recall that in the US, telemarketing to cellular phones was illegal, as the receiver often pays for it directly.

    Wouldn't sms spam fall into the same category?

  2. the worst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    And just when you thought butchering the English language couldn't get any worst...

  3. FCC regulations by pvt_medic · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think that we will quickly see law suits being filed over this, similar to the one we saw to fax.com. Many cellular companies charge for receiving text messages, and it would be a violation of FCC regulations to initiate such ads when the recipiant is being charged for them. (Also it is illegal for a telemarketer to call a cell phone, because of the charge ensued from having to use minutes).

    --
    30% Troll, 50% Underrated, 10% Interesting
    Score:5, Troll
  4. The major problem with SMS spam... by ketamine-bp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is that
    (1) It is not easy to filter out, given the majority of people here now only uses phone that cannot be programmed easily (at least, not as easy as using the OE plugins or the MacosX Mail.app)
    (2) Usually they are more intrusive - nowadays people carry cell phones around and when you are bugged by SMS spam TOGETHER with important SMS.. it's friggin' bad...
    (3) They know where you read it... the positioning system of the GPS/w-cdma networks allow them to track your place...

    now what? right - do it with legislation.

  5. In the UK... by electrichamster · · Score: 5, Informative

    In the UK I've been recieving text message spam for a while, and recently there has been a massive surge in the number of text message "Scams" being sent out.
    Generally of the type "You have a new voicemail, call XXX to listen to it", where XXX is a premium rate number.

    Highly, highly irritating - now all we need is a baysian text message filter ;)

  6. You know what this means! by SushiFugu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fast forward a year or so from now: "Ask Slashdot: Where Do Dummy Cell Phone Numbers Go?"

  7. What I do by AnimeFreak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In order to text message me on my cell phone, you must include my nickname enclosed in brackets -- ie: (AnimeFreak). That way spammers have a harder time spamming me.

    My GSM/GPRS provider included it in their service, so I made use of it.