I've won $2.5 million dollars twice in the last month.
They sounded like Nigerians and even gave me a phone number:
1-876-881-0225 to get back to them. Of course I called them crooks and hung up.Looking up the number, others had the same. The scam is to give them money to release funds from customs. The second call, yesterday, they said they were Publishers Central Clearing house.
Incredibly stupid but if one in 10,000 fall for it, it is probably worth their time.
I always thought using white lists with email would be a good idea. I still think it would be a good idea if email programs gave a permission only option. If that ever caught on, I think it could also be done with phones.
With email, anyone in your contacts would automatically pass. A reply from anyone you sent an email to would pass.
For everyone else, you could use your first name for a password (or anything else). Someone not on your list could put your first name in the subject or body to pass.
Reject everything else.
One of the problems with a whitelist is that all of the planets need to be aligned all of the time. So in the case of a whitelist how do you allow for when someone you wish to "allow in" calls from a different number?
A similar example. Friends have the reject unknown caller option set on their line. They called me about something important while I was on the road. I retrieved the voicemail and tried to call back only to keep getting "this person does not accept blocked or unknown callers". I was using my cell phone. I called another friend and he reported he wasn't getting caller ID.
As I said your plan may be different. All those SMS blocks I mentioned above are free on my account web page. I have one feature phone and one smart phone. SMS only on the feature phone (since I can get free Google SMS on the smart phone). My web account shows the same turn offs for both phones. But of course YMMV.
If you're using an Android smart phone there are several ring blocking apps that turn off the ringer (not the call). That way at least you're not disturbed and the call ends on its own. One (if I recall right) you can turn off whole area codes which if you don't know anybody there might be helpful. Though my spam calls differ in number they are often from the same 300 or 600 area code. Currently I'm using an app called Ring Manager which only lets certain numbers through, every other number is blocked. Works for me since I only take calls from family. But of course YMMV.
I don't have SMS service so each SMSM costs me something like $.10. They do provide a blacklist service but that's useless and they expire in 60 days (dumb).
Doesn't help for SMS messages. They still cost real money.
Sure, whitelisting emails is pretty easy. Any decent email program will have filter capability.
That's an easy filter to set up, sure.
Email is a little special in that it's rare to get unsolicited email from someone I really want to converse with. Though I do get some. Phones are different. For instance, emergency emails are pretty rare as are pay-email stations. ;-)
"None over 18."
I didn't subscribe to data service (internet) on my feature phone but like your SMS problem every time it was accidentally used there was a data charge. But I found that the Verizon site (my account - YMMV) allowed me to completely turn off the data to that phone. Now no more data charges.
Likewise there is a place (my account - YMMV) with several SMS options, one of which is to completely turn off SMS service.
If I were you and couldn't find these options on your account I would call them direct and get it done. I would be amazed if it can't be done. But... if it can't, my next stop would be another carrier. I certainly wouldn't put up with BS like that.
I understand that Page Plus (prepaid) uses the Verizon network and at much better rates. Also you might stop by alt.celular.verizon. There's several smart people (I'm not one) there who could probably advise on more possible solutions.
Good luck.
I have data but no SMS.
Nope. Verizon was no help, either. Told SWMBO to just blacklist the sender (no help at all).
BTDT. No help.
I was about to switch to Page Plus but then decided to get a data plan. That changed the calculus completely.
I have a rarely-used cell phone which I utilize to block land-line (well, ATT Uverse) incoming calls.
I never had caller ID until UVerse, and found that it also gives you a "caller forwarding" feature. Only 20 numbers total, but that's a start. I didn't really want the numbers "blocked" (with a message stating as much), but rather, I just wanted to "aim them" to a number where they would essentially "ring forever".
Since my cell phone is ALWAYS turned off (it's for emergency and absolutely-necessary outgoing calls ONLY), when I get an unwanted call, I ascertain its number with caller ID, and then enter it into my specified call-forwarding log, with my always-turned-off cell phone as the number.
Never hear from those callers again!
Wouldn't work for me since virtually all my spam calls are from
*different* numbers. One call from each number. So after awhile I got tired of adding them to the black list. I read that these are probably robo-dialed with munged caller IDs using voip from out of country and there currently appears to be little defense either legally or technically.My solution was to use a white list Android app with all other numbers banned but that likely wouldn't work for most people.
I find it's far easier to just use a dedicated email account that is only used by family and friends, and a few throw-aways for everyone/everything else.
I've been doing it this way for a decade or so now, and I just don't get any SPAM in my real accounts anymore.
Jon
Call up Verizon and tell them you would like to cancel your service. When they send you to the department that tries to convince you to stay, tell them that you are cancelling your service because you refuse to pay for unsolicited SMS messages.
They will fix the problem for you.
Jon
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.