When we use the word "spam", as a rule, we associate it with email spam, but today sms spam is becoming more and more widespread. Moreover, in terms of the amount of unwanted information received via a mobile phone, sms spam can compete with email spam, and getting rid of it is quite difficult.
Sms-spam causes a lot of discomfort to the user - it distracts, and can also lead to significant financial losses.
Spam is the sending of unsolicited advertising messages or other information. Moreover, these can be messages that the user has subscribed to, but does not know how to cancel their receipt, or those that the user receives without his own consent.
Getting rid of SMS spam is quite difficult, but possible. Here are the measures to combat annoying advertising.
Pay attention to the preventive measures that allow you to avoid becoming a victim of SMS spammers:
• do not enter your mobile number on unverified, suspicious Internet resources;
• do not follow the links and do not reply to SMS received from an unknown number - not only is this a confirmation that your number is active (and will increase the pressure of spammers), but also fraudsters can use your data to steal money;
• carefully study the Agreement with your mobile operator; quite often agreeing to the terms of the contract, you yourself subscribe to receive spam (look, for example, the item "I agree to receive advertising from third parties").
However, there are also spammers who send advertisements according to the principle of "random dialing", so these methods do not give a 100% guarantee of getting rid of spam.
Check your cell phone. Many devices today have a "blacklist" feature where you can add the phones of unwanted providers. If there is no such function, then you can activate the blacklist service with your operator. Operators often offer a number blocking service by USSD request. You can disable the function of receiving short text messages altogether.
In order to protect yourself from illegal or unplanned debiting of funds, use the service of blocking SMS sending to short numbers:
• write to [email protected] or forward the received SMS without changes to 6333;
• https://moscow.megafon.ru/bezopasnoe_obschenie/feedback/feedback/ or by number 0500 - service of complaints to Megafon; Forward the spam message to the toll-free number 1911;
• by phone 0611 - Beeline complaints service.
Install an antivirus on your phone that will automatically block SMS messages from short numbers.
Quite often, the source of advertising mailing is your operator (this can be both advertising of the operator's services and advertising of the services of third parties). Moreover, his actions are absolutely legal - you receive such advertising, because you gave your consent to this when concluding the Agreement. However, you can revoke your consent to receive such advertising at any time.
If you yourself have subscribed to the advertising mailing list, then contact your cellular operator with a request to cancel it. For example:
• MTS - * 111 * 374 # CALL - Service "Ban on receiving advertising SMS";
• Beeline - * 110 * 20 # CALL - deactivation of the "Chameleon" service (advertising mailings);
• MegaFon - * 105 * 801 # Stop content service
It is possible that you began to receive advertising after you indicated your phone number when filling out the questionnaire for registration in the discount program and agreed to receive information. Any reputable company should provide the client with the opportunity to unsubscribe from receiving the newsletter. The conditions must be indicated in the messages you received or on the official website of the company.
If, after your contact with the company, SMS continues to be received, or if you did not give consent to receive SMS mailings, you can complain to authorized organizations to protect your interests. Among which:
• The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), which is responsible for controlling advertising. You can send a complaint by e-mail [email protected] or deliver it personally, send it by mail.
• Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (ROSKOMNADZOR) on the website
In the complaint, you must indicate the sender's number, message text and delivery time, as well as your contact information.
