# Spam on my cellphone?! FRIGGIN' A! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 29, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139 "2004-11-29T13:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/1 "2004-11-29T13:40:47Z")
This is a short rant, not all that much to it. I don’t use my cell often. Usually its either off or in my apartment. I use it as an answering machine most of the time. Figures that the one time I carry it with me I get a loud “RING RING” while walking down the street. - Hello? Oh… its one of those text message things. ??? - For low cost auto insurance hit send send :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: And that is all. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/2 "2004-11-29T13:58:30Z")
I though that was still illegal. Unlike a landline, cells cost you money even when you answer. Ugh that sucks though. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/3 "2004-11-29T14:37:28Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I though that was still illegal. Unlike a landline, cells cost you money even when you answer. > > Ugh that sucks though. He didn’t get a call, and as far as I know, no cell phone provider charges you to receive text messages. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/4 "2004-11-29T14:44:08Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > He didn’t get a call, and as far as I know, no cell phone provider charges you to receive text messages. I suppose I should open my eyes when I post. Perhaps that’s even more nefarious, those scumbags found away around? ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/5 "2004-11-29T14:54:49Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I suppose I should open my eyes when I post. Perhaps that’s even more nefarious, those scumbags found away around? Agreed. I hope we see some legislation prohibiting this crap in the future. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/6 "2004-11-29T14:56:02Z")
Heh… I meant “agreed” to the second part. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/7 "2004-11-29T14:57:55Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > Heh… I meant “agreed” to the second part. Then I’ll agree to the first part for both of us. 😛 These people won’t be happy until they can place ads on the backs of our eyelids will they? ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/8 "2004-11-29T16:01:22Z")
You could hit send (or look up the number embedded in the SMS message) and, if it’s local, call them back and have them stop. SMS spam I believe is covered under the anti-spam laws applied to cell phones (I think). I once got an automated spam voice mail on my cell (from an alarm company or something). A simple call back with a firm message about cell phones and telemarketing put a stop to that. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/9 "2004-11-29T16:08:54Z")
I get stuff like that occasionally too. Although it’s usually along the lines of “phone this number. You’ve won a prize!” Yeah right. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/10 "2004-11-29T17:50:19Z")
I thought they could only do that if you gave them your number? I have gotten spam from my provider, but I went to their website and opted out after that. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/11 "2004-11-29T19:25:24Z")
> [@Flutterby](#): > > I thought they could only do that if you gave them your number? I have gotten spam from my provider, but I went to their website and opted out after that. Cell phone numbers are typically assigned in blocks from a provider. For example, my phone begins with (804) 519-XXXX. At the time I got my phone, all (804) 519-XXXX numbers indicated a Sprint PCS number ((804) 347-XXXX was Verizon, (804) 901-XXXX was nTelos, etc.) Number portability makes this dodgier for spammers, but I’d say it’s a good bet that they just text messaged, en masse, an entire block of numbers. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/12 "2004-11-30T02:12:07Z")
Right after I got it I wrote a text message back telling them to go away. cost me a few cents but now I know how to text message… as if it was ever necessary to know that. (Its a cellphone!! Call the person!) ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/13 "2004-11-30T04:56:25Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > He didn’t get a call, and as far as I know, no cell phone provider charges you to receive text messages. If you have no separate Text Messaging plan, Cingular charges $0.10 per message received or sent. If you do have a text messaging plan, any message received or sent will be deducted from the plan. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/14 "2004-11-30T05:06:18Z")
I knew I was ahead of the curve 🙂 : [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=3328405&postcount=37](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=3328405&postcount=37) ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/15 "2004-11-30T05:14:13Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > If you have no separate Text Messaging plan, Cingular charges $0.10 per message received or sent. If you do have a text messaging plan, any message received or sent will be deducted from the plan. Wow, that’s crappy. I’ve never seen a plan before that charged for incoming messages. Who would sign a contract wherein anyone can run your bill up to your spending limit?! ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/16 "2004-11-30T05:17:52Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > If you have no separate Text Messaging plan, Cingular charges $0.10 per message received or sent. If you do have a text messaging plan, any message received or sent will be deducted from the plan. Same goes for Nextel. Ten cents per message. My boss, at one time, was slammed with tons of spam text messages. Nextel said they could try some sort of “filter” but it never worked. She ended up changing her number. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/17 "2004-11-30T05:50:26Z")
Does anyone know if Verizon costs a dime for each text message I get? ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/18 "2004-11-30T12:31:39Z")
Wierd! I don’t know any network in the UK that charges you just for recieving messages! ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-on-my-cellphone-friggin-a/277139/19 "2004-11-30T14:24:27Z")
Text messaging in the US is not even close to the popularity of the service in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and south-east/east Asia. Many users in these regions send more SMS than make they telephone calls. Americans have a different pattern of use, so the texting ability may not be included as standard. Having to pay to receive calls is another oddity.