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Anyone else getting text messages from unwanted sources?
I get the following:
A text telling me I can claim for the accident I had recently
A text informing me I can claim against missold PPI
A text asking me to sell my old pensions
A text telling me they can wipe my debts
Have tried in vain to stop them, have put in STOP, have put in CLAIM and abused the caller when they do, my kids get them on their phones but they do not stop.
Any suggestions?
First advice is don't reply to them at all. It's quite possible that them spammers are generating phone numbers randomly and by replying, you are confirming that the number exists, and you number can then be sold on.
Secondly, check with your mobile provider - some of them are compiling lists of spam messages (you will need to forward on the number the spam was sent from) and will then block the phones. Unfortunately, it's always going to be a game of catch-up.
I have a messaging app on my phone called handcent (android app) - amongst one of it's many features is the ability to blacklist numbers easily (long press on the message and then tap on blacklist) - any messages from the same number are hidden from view (they accumulate in the phone's own messaging system if you want to look) so I don't get bothered by repeats.
One final thing - I haven't bothered to do this yet, but I also have an app called tasker, which can be set up to do pretty much anything - which means I could have the app search for certain words within a message text and deal with it appropriately.
This was in the news recently and as actd has said the worse thing to do is reply as they then know your number is real.
I'm sure that offcom managed to shut down lots of these company's however as soon as they have blocked and cancelled the numbers they use they start again.
I know the mobile operators have always had issues trying to stop them from using the free txt that can be given out on pay as you go sims.
There used to be a number/online form that you could file out to stop unsolicited calls and txt this would only work from company's using a live data base rather than random generated numbers but might stop some of them..
Darren
Just noticed that while typing this that the add at the top of the page was for an accident claims company LOL
If you get a phone call, the best thing you probably do is to try to get the name and number of the company, and then tell them you are registered on the TPS (telephone preference service) - assuming the company is in this country, they are breaking the law. That's assuming you are registered with the TPS - if not, I'd do so.
Thanks for this guys - have contacted the Ministry of Justice and they are keen to deal with this but in order to do so I need to speak to the companies concerned.
I have spoken to several so far and have shouted, abused and even told one insurance company the injuries I sustained included decapitation!!!
even told one insurance company the injuries I sustained included decapitation!!!
ROFLMAO at this - did they realise the implausibility of this?
I'll bang on a bit more about tasker for Android - I have set mine up now so that if I get a message containing ' PPI ' (and more to be added as and when), it creates a new message to go to 7726, with the senders number and message text - all I have to do is press send (the only reason I didn't automate it fully is just in case my daughter forwards me a message - I wouldn't want to accidentally report her :lol:) so reporting this is now a piece of cake.
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