What are these unrequested 'texts'?

[Guest stevem999]

I am new to smartphones (MPX220) and have had 2 messages recently that just 'arrive' on my phones screen offering the usual ringtones etc etc. I immediately delete them without opening but just wondering if these are SMS based, or GPRS or something. They don't make any noise as they arrive i.e no text sound, and just have what looks like an IP address as the sender. I jst want to know how they're arriving, is it costing me anything for txts/gprs and can I stop them?

[Guest psionandy]

I am new to smartphones (MPX220) and have had 2 messages recently that just 'arrive' on my phones screen offering the usual ringtones etc etc. I immediately delete them without opening but just wondering if these are SMS based, or GPRS or something. They don't make any noise as they arrive i.e no text sound, and just have what looks like an IP address as the sender. I jst want to know how they're arriving, is it costing me anything for txts/gprs and can I stop them?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are they something like

13800438377 followed by a lot of spaces (and 93 characters in total) by anychance?

And are you on TMobile? I've been getting them too and they're B****y annoying.

They don't seem to be charged. But T-Mobile seem to be unable to track them on their system

[Guest stevem999]

Are they something like

13800438377 followed by a lot of spaces (and 93 characters in total) by anychance?

And are you on TMobile? I've been getting them too and they're B****y annoying.

They don't seem to be charged. But T-Mobile seem to be unable to track them on their system

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No sorry, not quite like that - the 'from' address is an ip address like 123.123.23.1 type format, the subject is usually Msg:Ringtone and then gives me the option to download something. weird.

[Guest psionandy]

That's ok... I'll go back to banging my head against the wall.

Your network should be able to tell you if you're being charged for them though

[Guest Geeklord]

sounds like spam from the internet. do you browse often, and to "unsafe" sites. the ip address suggests that it's web based since channel based messages are just straight numbers (no dots), and the nature of the message sounds too suspiciously like internet-based promotions that shoot out messages by the phonebook page or shotgun style.

I don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but better have someone look at it, preferably someone well versed with viruses.

[Guest stevem999]

sounds like spam from the internet. do you browse often, and to "unsafe" sites. the ip address suggests that it's web based since channel based messages are just straight numbers (no dots), and the nature of the message sounds too suspiciously like internet-based promotions that shoot out messages by the phonebook page or shotgun style.

I don't want to worry you unnecessarily, but better have someone look at it, preferably someone well versed with viruses.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only ever browsed twice, and I received the first of these odd messages before I ever browsed! Plus the only place I browsed to was Vodafone Live so I hope they aren't sending out viruses! I just went to the front page to check it worked actually, never asked for any content.

I thought any smartphone viruses were only capable of being installed by the user - i.e. you had to accept a program or whatever? I just deleted the messages without opening anything.

[Guest Confucious]

Have you tried looking up the IP address?

[Guest Geeklord]

Actually, I'm fairly confident that it's not a virus. However, I was thinking along the lines of malware or spyware. As I'm sure you know, these buggers can be pretty annoying and potentially as dangerous as viruses.

Spam on the other hand, is just annoying. Here's the thing. Most spyware were created by advertising and promotional agencies to keep tabs on where you, their potential target market, frequent on the web. Now you got your piggy-backers--these are promotional agencies that, knowing where you browse, and probably knowing how to get to you (IP) will pester you with buy this and that.

Since your message (get a free ringtone) is suspiciously in context to Vodafone, the site you browsed, some spambot has probably got hold of your IP and is taking advantage of it. (I doubt if Vodafone even knows of these bots.) You may be in need of an IP change, if that's possible. I'm not sure if mobile phones are assigned static or dynamic IPs.

[Guest Confucious]

some spambot has probably got hold of your IP and is taking advantage

Isn't you're IP address dynamically assigned?

As these atre texts it's far more likely they have your phone number rather than IP address.

But you have their IP address so just see who it is.

[Guest Samsonite]

GPRS IP addresses are dynamically assigned and are usually not even visible outside of your network.. It is no mean feat to ping your fone when a GPRS session is on the go. at my work, we make a GPRS enabled modem and have to specify fixed IP addresses that are visible outside of the network to allow proper implemtation of the technology. AFAIK, not all of the networks can provide fixed IP for GPRS activity.

these messages being recieved - it is more likely an SMS based message that has not been headered and footered properly and looks a bit wonky when sent to your phone. Didnt some old nokias give you the option of popping the message directly onto the screen rather than appearing as a conventional SMS?

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

sounds similar to what my g/f had recently. She received a "free ringtone" yesterday which she just deleted, and then she had a missed call from a number we didn't recognise in manchester. When we googled the phone number it was top of the results list as a marketing company.

[Guest beersoft]

i would check with t'network that your not being charged for those texts, as it would be a pain in the arse if you found they send you 20 quids worth of text message

later

Owen