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To The Dev's At Public Mobile: Please Add Internet Spam Blocking to the Self Service Portal

KenB
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

This is a new thread because I want a real CS_Agent to see this and pass it on to the self service web developers here at Public Mobile.

 

I've been receiving spam text messages that come from email addresses and cannot be blocked due to spoofing.  My phone gave me the error "Invalid Number" when I try to block the sender because there is no phone number but rather a an email in the phone number line - there is no number to be found.

 

A CS_Agent replied to my previous post stating that there is currently no way to block this however I've found a possible solution on Android Central that is in practice at Verizen  in the US.

The thread can be found here and I've attached a screen shot of the user who breaks down the process available in Verizen's self service portal:

https://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-galaxy-s-iii/297351-how-block-texts-email-addresses-solved...

image.jpeg

Please, pass this on to the development team, this would be a boon to all Public Mobile customers and would ensure my continued patronage.

 

Thank you.

9 REPLIES 9

Korth
Mayor / Maire

@KenB 

 

I think your best bet is to try installing different dialer/messaging apps until you find one which can block this trash.

 

Another option is to change your phone number, if you're not particularly attached to it. You can do this in Self-Serve once every 30 days and there's no charge, though it's a bit of a hassle to inform work, school, banks, friends, family, and other contacts about the change.

KenB
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

This is exactly the answer I wanted.  No shade to the specific CS Rep that responded to me but the explanation I was given was far more brief and vague than I could be satisfied with.  I had no idea that Telus opted out of UNCB.  It's definitely not fool proof but I was getting repeat messages from that first address (pictures lower in this thread in reply to dust2dust) and even if I had to sign in to a portal and do it myself online it'd be better than nothing lol.  I deeply appreciate you taking the time to share your expansive knowledge Korth.  You've given me at least some form of closure.  My best option would be looking into a reputable third-party dialers because I don't want to leave PM due to my experience so far with decent coverage and fair rates.  I'll have a look at those ones you've recommended.

Thanks again.

KenB
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Notice the option where it says "Block Number" is greyed out and if I try to click it just reads an error "Invalid Number".  I have my phone set to not auto-download MMS, I have to click in order to receive them and for added saftey to peep the full bogus credentials of the sender I turn off my data before hand.

KenB
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Sorry it took awhile, but here's two I just got recently.Scam Text 1 P1.jpgScam Text 1 P2.jpgScam Text 2 P1.jpgScam Text 2 P2.jpg

Jordanpurkis
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Lol typical response by cs laughs and tells you good luck youre on your own 

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

Please do. The notification that it's available and then if you tap on it to "read" it and it comes down then what it looks like then. But I would be wary of MMS. Maybe not even tap on it. I'm quite sure I've read something somewhere of nefarious payloads in MMS. If there's a way to long press and see some details of it, might be useful too.

Korth
Mayor / Maire

The feature you are describing - and that Verizon apparently implements - is known as Universal Network Call Blocking (UNCB). It is an imperfect technology - which requires the network operator constantly monitors and updates their blacklists - it will detect and block spoofed numbers which violate technical parameters, it won't ever detect and block every possible spammer (since most of these will actually use legit numbers anyhow). It's better than nothing and it's not as great as Verizon claims.

 

The CRTC mandated that all Canadian networks implement working UNCB before the end of Dec 2019.

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2018/2018-484.htm

 

Rogers and Bell (along with their Fido, Chatr, Virgin, and Lucky subsidiaries) all proudly advertise this feature on their websites. Even the "small" networks (Freedom/Shaw, SaskTel, Ice Wireless, etc) have complied.

 

But Telus never complied. Their official statement (repeated by Public Mobile) is that they don't feel it's worthwhile because individual subscribers already have the ability to block numbers through built-in phone softwares.

I suspect that if you bug Public Mobile enough then they'll just repeat this statement again in some newly-worded way, but they've already decided (or been directed) to not implement UNCB so nothing will change.

 

Seems shady to me. Regulations (laws) which apply to all but one. No doubt somebody was bribed.

 

If you have an Android phone then you do have the option of installing different dialing/calling apps to replace the built-in software. iOS might have similar options, but I didn't see anything during a quick check through their app store. Some of these apps will still "remember" numbers which don't have a valid caller ID - they're "unknown", "private", "blocked", spoofed, whatever - so they can still be seen in call history and they can still be clicked on when you want to examine or block them.

TrueCaller is a popular choice, though I don't know if it supports this particular feature (and I suspect it doesn't).

Signal MMS is my preference, though I have a modded version I compiled myself, the consumer versions sometimes lack desired features.

https://www.truecaller.com/

https://signal.org/en/

https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android

 

You can also try using star codes, though I doubt they'll work for this purpose.

https://www.techjunkie.com/unblock-call-star-code/

 

You can also add your name and number to the Canadian DNCL and the American DNCR. Some people claim this is useless - and it is indeed useless vs spammers, criminals, and autodialers because they ignore laws anyhow - but less incoming garbage is less incoming garbage so it doesn't hurt.

https://lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/en

https://www.donotcall.gov/

 

The end-user counterparts of UNCB - things like TrapCall and unmaskable caller ID tracers - do not work in Canada. Because the CRTC prohibits consumers from accessing such powerful, useful things due to (one-way) "privacy" concerns. The Canadian government likes being able to call from anonymous numbers and will fight dirty to make sure you can't identify, trace, or block calls from the numbers they use.

https://www.trapcall.com/

https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/app-store/trapcall-caller-id-unmasker-forced-to-shut-down-in-canada-du...

KenB
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I keep deleting it every time I receive it but I'll definitely log back in an post once they send it again.  It's been non-stop at least once a day.   

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

lol Good luck with that.

I can't say as I've ever received spam texts that way.

Would you be willing to provide an image of what you received without anything identifiable.

 

@CS_Agent 

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