Like most everyone out there, I hate scams, and I intentionally try to avoid them. Technology is hardly helping us. With the evolution of personal telecommunications devices, sadly, you can't easily avoid getting embroiled in a scam or two. In fact, you have to get involved at the start in order to save yourself literally hundreds of dollars a year.
A little background: In the last year, like many of you readers out there, my cell phone has started to receive spam text messages. They typically say the following kind of things:
"Impress ur friends with Amazing Facts 2 ur cell from the brainbender.com. Text HELP for help or call 8002357105 $9.99 STOP 2 quite Msg. & Data Rates May Aply." (spelling mistakes are actual, not mine!)
These kind of rambling incoherent messages are the kind of messages I will always ignore. My first instinct is to delete them. However, such precautions cannot protect you anymore from robbery. Apparently, one actually has to reply to the message with "STOP" to avoid being charged $9.99.
These SMS scams are called "premium message services" and they allow so-called companies to bill your phone company the subscription fee so it shows up automatically on your bill. Even if you have an unlimited data plan, you still get charged $9.99 due to some loop hole these crappy scam outfits have found a way to manipulate. These messages will come into your phone as a 4, 5, or 6 digit number. So when you see a text come in from a weird short number, make sure you reply with STOP. Better yet, call your wireless carrier and have them put a block on premium messaging services.
I called Verizon to contest the $9.99 charge and ask what the hell was going on. The customer service lady on the line, although ultimately helpful, sounded like she'd been hearing the same call all week long:
Verizon Lady: "Yeah, I got charged for something similar last month myself. You got to be really careful these days. Have you downloaded any games recently, or trivia feeds? It says on my screen that on 4/02 you received a message from something called Voodoo. Do you recall that?
Me: No, I would never download anything called Voodoo. I want to contest the charge.
VL: Well, I can meet you half way. I can refund you $5.
Me: I want to contest the entire charge.
VL: Well, I can meet you halfway myself, anything more I have to get permission from our supervising manager.
Me: Go ahead and do that.
(8 seconds passes while I'm on hold)
VL: Well, I got permission, you will be credited the $9.99. That doesn't happen very often.
Me: Yeah, I am pretty lucky.
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