What to do with spam in your Private Message folder

[Catherine_T]

Hey Community,

We’ve heard that some of you have received spam in your Private Message folder on the Community. The team has put great effort into filtering out spam messages, but in the case you do receive one, here’s what to do:

1. DO NOT click on any links within the message

2. Report the message

3. Delete the message

Note that you do not need to submit a ticket. Our Moderator team will be taking immediate action and banning users sending the spam messages upon reporting.

Your safety and security is top priority for us. We are investigating additional ways to help limit these instances. Please help us by staying vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity on the Community. 

- The Public Mobile Team

[sushi19]

Great information. I just received my first spam message and reported and deleted thanks to this post!

[pomlady]

That's okay lol.  So far nothing has happened, phew!

Live and learn.................

[pomlady]

Just received another spam message, this time I reported it!

[prairiedogbob]

@darlicious

Hahaha! I saw that too!  Sorry about that @pomlady !

[prairiedogbob]

@pomlady 

I almost did the same thing then thought better of it and found this thread. 

[BEER]

Perhaps one could also peruse and adjust their Notification Settings.

Notification Settings

Turn off all email notifications 

Turn off all mobile notifications

[Joewillier]

Delete

[HALIMACS]

Hi @darlicious 

Points very well taken as it relates to associated costs and limitations for certain users.

Just to reassure folks, I'm not suggesting removing the ability of anyone to access customer service at Public Mobile by limiting Private Messaging capabilities.   I'm only talking about Private Messaging functions - anyone and everyone, customer or not, should certainly be able to utilize the Community Forums for questions and replies.  I just don't feel that non-customers should have completely open access to privately message existing customers, though they should still absolutely be able to privately message any or all PM staff levels.

Just want to make sure my recommendations aren't being taken out of context, and if so, I can try to re-word them.   Good discussion, thanks @darlicious 

[darlicious]

@HALIMACS 

     I think what youre asking for is more than the software is capable of and would require time and money to implement. All things considered the fact that on average theres been a spam attack once year and given enough time the problem has been eradicated i dont see why the private messaging system needs to be revamped that would inherently cause more problems for customers and potential new ones just to prevent the possibility of a spam attack.

     Theres plenty of former customers that stay active on the forum and continue to help out despite having to changed providers whether by choice or circumstance. You also have customers whose emails have been banned who still need to access private messaging for customer service, non-customers who come looking for help because their phone number has been ported fraudently, closing loved ones accounts who have passed or accounts that were activated but never used but are on autopay, others who left their account suspended too long and its been cancelled and others still who ported their number away but autopay keeps charging the cancelled account. None of these people would be well served by limiting access to private messaging. Its important to remember this is an online only customer service model.......you cannot restrict the only access to customer service. Its the same reason you can still get telemarketing and/or spam calls to your phone you cant cut off all access and determined people will always find a way to circumvent the controls put in place....its a fact of life. We can only expect pm to keep it at a minimum intrusion.

      Maybe a better solution would be once a spam issue is identified pm could send out a mass private message similar to the welcome message everyone gets when they join the community that denotes a spam attack and to be aware that you may recieve one and instruct how to deal with it.

[HALIMACS]

Hi @cavemantoronto 

I put forth this suggestion 2 weeks ago shortly after @Catherine_T first posted this thread and glad it's getting some airtime.   Thanks for commenting further @Saudor 

I fully agree the Community forum is an absolutely necessary tool for prospective, current, and recent Public Mobile customers. (by recent, I mean those within 90 days of having had service because they've allowed their account to go into suspended status -or- customers who have ported out)

Users of the service who do not have active PM services (or recent customers as above) should have ZERO functionality to Privately Message other users.   They absolutely should have the ability to Privately Message folks such as Moderators or PM staff (& maybe Oracles?), but no one else should be able to be contacted through Private Messaging.

Does anyone know if Public Mobile may be moving toward such an approach to protect unsuspecting or otherwise vulnerable users (some who may not be technologically or sufficiently experienced in recognizing legitimate vs real online opportunities)?  This should be a priority for Public Mobile to protect it's most unsuspecting customers.

Thanks all, and be safe!!!

[Saudor]

So maybe they can post on the forums so if the account does go rogue, it can be dealt with super fast.

But do they really need PM functionality to regular users? The fact that these idiots are spamming private messages suggests that enough people fall for it to make it worthwhile.  While it's not Public's fault, it's still not going to go well for these customers and by extension, public's image if they end up getting scammed on their own website.

They can still message the mod team if needed too. 

[cavemantoronto]

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@Saudor wrote:

Easiest option is to just block PM functionality for new accounts completely. If they need to contact someone, then they can only message the moderator team. 

Otherwise, they can post on the community but not automatically - new accounts need to get their first posts approved too. 

I did the cat and mouse game on my own sites for a while. No amount of recaptcha, etc would help. Eventually i shut it all down and used an algorithm that turns those features on when certain criteria that deems they're actually using the site's intended features is met. 8 years and counting and not a single spam. 

---

They can't do that.  New customers need help the most. Not allowing private messages or needing to get posts approved means it takes longer to get help.

[Saudor]

Easiest option is to just block PM functionality for new accounts completely. If they need to contact someone, then they can only message the moderator team. 

Otherwise, they can post on the community but not automatically - new accounts need to get their first posts approved too. 

I did the cat and mouse game on my own sites for a while. No amount of recaptcha, etc would help. Eventually i shut it all down and used an algorithm that turns those features on when certain criteria that deems they're actually using the site's intended features is met. 8 years and counting and not a single spam. 

[ToMuchCatnip]

 @Bigpointguy 

You have to actually open the message. From there you can see a report, ignore, delete option. Just don't click on any links or nothing . 

[Dunkman]

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@Bigpointguy wrote:

I have received 2 of these messages over the ast couple of weeks. But I don't see the "report" button in either message. I'm puzzled.

Pat

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@Bigpointguy 

There is the Report button, on the lower left corner of the private message.  

[Bigpointguy]

I have received 2 of these messages over the ast couple of weeks. But I don't see the "report" button in either message. I'm puzzled.

Pat

[luke11992]

I also just received a message about winning an iPhone 12, from a member that has no activity in the community. I will report.

[michsteve]

received four messages all suggesting I won an iphone.  Did not realize I could report so I simply deleted.  Thanks for this post so I now know what to do.

[darlicious]

@pomlady 

It happens....they catch you in a moment when your spidey sense is down.....same as at quick glance your username looks like something else altogether....lol!

[pomlady]

Yeah I know a dumb move:-(!

[mm80]

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@pomlady wrote:

I kind of did, I filled out the first page as far as address goes, etc. then when I saw something about a $1. I clicked it off, not giving away my credit card information!

---

You shouldn't have done that but any time you buy something online, you give somebody your address. You could start getting more junk mail addressed to you from companies that you haven't heard of.

[pomlady]

I kind of did, I filled out the first page as far as address goes, etc. then when I saw something about a $1. I clicked it off, not giving away my credit card information!

Edited to add, I just changed my password on here, just in case!  

Grrr I would hate to be hacked!

[mm80]

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@pomlady wrote:

Geez I got it too and thinking Public Mobile, okay and clicked on it!  Dumb me!  Hopefully it is okay and I didn't go through the whole process!

---

You're usually ok as long as you didn't give them information.

[pomlady]

Geez I got it too and thinking Public Mobile, okay and clicked on it!  Dumb me!  Hopefully it is okay and I didn't go through the whole process!

[Lightning]

Received a phishing messages about iPhone 12. Just delete it

[DvAbCanEh]

DID YOU TRY TO ENTER FOR THE GIVE AWAY?

If you did not read the give away message correctly and entered your PM Account ID and PW  instead of the PM Community account login info. The spammer may have access to your account.

If you did this I would recommend changing your password immediately. One can't be too careful these days.

[AE_Collector]

I wouldn’t think that simply not having access to the ability to send/receive Private Messages if not a PM customer would still be reasonable. Potential customers can ask any questions in the topics rather than having a real need for Private Message ability. The biggest problem implementing that would be PM doing the work to identify actual PM customers to automatically bump them up to the higher level here once they have activated a cell plan. The way a customer ceased to be a customer here would need consideration as well. A renewal failure makes one no longer a customer so if their Private Message access also quit working instantly things quickly get even worse.

There would be a small inconvenience of not being able to privately send a referral code to someone asking for one but it would also eliminate potential new customers asking a question in the Community then being bombarded with referral codes to their inbox. 

AE_Collector

[ute1978]

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@dna2016 wrote:

@dougc got the same message from a different user.  This is the first time I've ever seen PM have this problem.  Been with PM for a bit over 4 years now.  Guess this is what happens when you grow, hackers and the like are more interested, lol.

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Me too, going into 5 years and never got a spam pm until today. I guess Public Mobile has to change the authorizations non Public Mobile customers get.

[dna2016]

@dougc got the same message from a different user.  This is the first time I've ever seen PM have this problem.  Been with PM for a bit over 4 years now.  Guess this is what happens when you grow, hackers and the like are more interested, lol.

[dna2016]

Just received this SPAM message from a user who just signed up today @BrightLightsy   Beware everyone.