SPAM Bots and Cell Phone text messages

Any one know of use of bots to spam cell phones?

[ControlEngineer]

I am doing some research for comments on a rulemaking by the FCC concerning cell phone text message spam.

Some cell phone companies have forms on their web sites where anyone can enter a cell phone number and a message onto a form. The message is then sent as a text message to the cell phone number.

It seems that it is possible for a bot to use this to send spam to cell phones. Does anyone know if this can be done? Has it been done? Does anyone have any reference to on-line publications that can be cited?

Thanks

[digitalv]

Most cell phone companies use something like [e-mail] - you don't even need to use their website to send a text message.

AT&T, for example is ****[e-mail]

So if you were to obtain a list of phone numbers that you knew were associated with a specific provider, yeah you could spam the heck out of them and as far as I know there is no protection against it. This will probably become a new marketing point for spammers until something is done to prevent it.

In some cases this is legal, and in some cases it's not - it's a technicality that goes back to broadcast faxing laws. If the recipient of one of your messages is charged per text message, then you've violated a marketing law because they incurred costs to receive your message. If they're on an "unlimited text messaging" plan though, you haven't broken any laws.

Kinda sucks, eh?

[edited by: digitalv at 6:36 pm (utc) on May 11, 2004]

[Pikin_It_Up]

It happened to me today.

Someone text me saying...

"Do you have any web promotion tips? My site is 2 months old and I need your help. My site is widget.com"

I visited the site (Which was exactly what they wanted me to do) and it turned out to be some guy (The resemblance to Bin Laden was uncanny), who promoted love and free spirit. There were loads of banners on the site. Maybe he was making money per impression? I don't know but it is a real pain.

We'll have to start using spam filers on our mobiles soon!

P

[ControlEngineer]

Most cell phone companies use something like [e-mail]

Yes, that is the most common method of sending spam to cell phones. I am almost certain that this will be a violation of the FCC regulations. (that is, to send commercial messages to cell phones without express prior authorization).

One issue that is being discussed in the present rulemaking activities is whether messages not sent through Internet e-mail is also likely to become a problem. I feel that it will likely be a problem if bots spam the cell phone carriers' web site forms. I am looking for any backup from anyone knowledgeable in this matter (use of spam bots to fill in forms) and particularly any published, on-line articles that can be cited.

If anyone wants to get involved, it is FCC CG Docket No. 04-53, currently in the reply comment phase.

Thanks.

[bill]

Most cell phone companies use something like [e-mail]

The biggest carrier in Japan, NTT DoCoMo did that as well, and the massive spam problem forced them to introduce a number of work-arounds. One good thing that came of it was that they gave everyone on the network a certain amount of free data credits to make up for all the spam we had to pay for. Now there are a number of safeguards in place and my personal spam has dropped off to nothing.