txt message fraud

starM

Hi, while using my phone I had a pop up on android battery saver and it looked interested and revews was good so I clicked on it to install it. The next minute I receive a txt message saying I have subscribed to 4 a month 2 SMSNow for u. To stop send a txt to 60054. I immediately cancelled it. I also checked my txt messages and it looks initial txt was sent from my phone to 60054 with a message Tips which made the subscription. I did not sent the txt but I think when I downloaded the batter saver it autamtically sent that message. That is a complete fraud. I have checked my Tmobile account and it shows 4.20 charge now. What should I do? Thanks

grumbler

Leave a feedback for the app.
Complain to the site that distributes it.
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/Number-Checker/Check-a-Number-Results.aspx?ncn=60054
Contact the company.
Demand cancellation and refund.
If they refuse, complain to phonepayplus

thegoodman

You need to be careful with Android phones because it is open source. The apps are not checked, this kind of fraud is common with them. The google will only remove the app after the event, only when many people have reported it.
More riskly if you are buying the phone for your children as it may take a while before you find out what have happended and may cost you a lot.


Most companies will use apps to take out £5-£10 not enough for most people to spend a lot of time to complain.


see the link below:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/07/marketplace_malware/

Most mobile phone users do not have enough knowledge to know what to install and what not to install. The Android phones should be protected from these type of apps. The phone should not have an option to install a software which trick people into giving money, dont care whoever have made the OS. Also I do not expect users from yound to old people to monitor the apps for Google while many of them are lossing money in the process. The Android is the newest OS and still have that hold is just shocking!

Other systems such as BlackBerry, iphone, windows phone etc check all apps before releasing them on the market place.

DUTR

thegoodman wrote: »

You need to be careful with Android phones because it is open source. The apps are not checked, this kind of fraud is common with them. The google will only remove the app after the event, only when many people have reported it.
More riskly if you are buying the phone for your children as it may take a while before you find out what have happended and may cost you a lot.


Most companies will use apps to take out £5-£10 not enough for most people to spend a lot of time to complain.


see the link below:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/07/marketplace_malware/

Other systems such as BlackBerry, iphone, windows phone etc check all apps before releasing them on the market place.

You need to be careful with posts from thegoodman, he seems to just scour the net for negative stories on android, and his selective reading omits negatives of his favoured iOS.
When a negative on iOS is posted he never responds as he chooses not to believe it.
:eek:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/06/ios_apps_crash_more/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/06/ipad_typos/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/11/ios_upgrade_battery_problems/

Cash-Strapped.T32

You have to be careful with programmable computers.

Human beings known as programmers can write software for them that can do things, like make pictures move & dance on-screen, to make complex calculations and to interface with other computers, and to do things that the original creator of the computer didn't even know was possible at the time of creation.

They can be useful, like word processing, accounting programs, and network data transmission such as browsers, email clients, and P2P communication.

They can also be harmful, examples are viruses that clog up your computer, harvest personal records you have saved, or group many infected computers into larger bot-nets to launch attacks against more secure systems with the combined processing power of many thousands of linked, infected computers.

The Microsoft will happily sell you a copy of Windows, and to this date still haven't taken enough action to wipe out all these nasty horrible virus programmers & computer hackers.

They don't even have a single "Microsoft-Market" for windows PCs where you can only download Windows software from a pre-approved site, and where every Windows program in the entire world is pre-screened for harmful code. !!!!!!!? How lax is that?



When it comes to security, Google use exactly the same model as Microsoft;
Thier system is open enough so that the world and his dog can write software, the advantage of this is that anyone with a bit of know how can write useful software that Billy-Bob Gates hadn't thought of way back when, but with the understanding that with power comes responsibility to not harm your fellow man.

They give you information to be careful, give you some tools to keep the basics covered, but expect users to apply a modicum of common sense too.
None of us are up in arms about this laissez-faire attitude when it comes to desktop or laptop computers, so why about smartphones which are exactly the same devices but in a smaller plastic box?

I refuse to be a cheerleader or detractor for/agin' any particular brand of phone or OS, but entertaining the thought that it's Google's fault more than the individual who wrote the malicious software is just going to lead to a world of babies who take no responsibility for their own actions, or wish to learn *why* these Bad Things(tm) happen.


Now having said all that I'm not saying the OP above is being a baby, or was particularly silly; - Far from it they've actively sought advice about this issue which is exactly the right thing to do, but I do feel that had the OP had the same problem with a scam email, or having downloaded a rogue windows executable file, the advice would be very different - Although the circumstances are virtually identical.


I wish the OP all the luck in the world getting this sorted; I'm not gonna spam more because luckily I've never had to chase money back in this way and I know others can be more helpful in that regard, but I just post the above to try & make the point it's not what you use, but how you use it that keeps you safe and makes the world a happy-place.

thegoodman

DUTR wrote: »

You need to be careful with posts from thegoodman, he seems to just scour the net for negative stories on android, and his selective reading omits negatives of his favoured iOS.
When a negative on iOS is posted he never responds as he chooses not to believe it.
:eek:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/06/ios_apps_crash_more/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/06/ipad_typos/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/11/ios_upgrade_battery_problems/

If you feel that why don’t you send the link showing iphone, blackberry and windows phone are also effected the same way as Android users such as virus, chargeable text messages etc.
I even put up the link showing how Android apps are tracking people into installing virus because apps are not checked before releasing them on the market (app store).
1. Your fist link shows the crash report. What a big deal to know 0.5% of apps, 1 in 200 might crash and you may need to rerun the app.
2. Your 2nd link showing how auto corrections don’t always work. Most people who use phones know that.
3. Battery problem. This is fixed with an update 5.0.2. Search the google and you will find that most manufactures such as HTC, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola have released the phone with a bug in OS (battery drain, camera not working etc)
Find the link for Google Galaxy Nexus – Top range Android phone.
The problem is to do with the battery drain.

http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/12/why-i-returned-the-samsung-galaxy-nexus.html

In compare to problem with other OS I think most users or future purchasers will find that virus issue is a lot more important than some of the problems you have said with other OS’s. Just see the OP.
If Google want to be a strong player in the mobile market it need to do somthing about this. Other OS have done that.

DUTR

thegoodman wrote: »

If you feel that why don’t you send the link showing iphone, blackberry and windows phone are also effected the same way as Android users such as virus, chargeable text messages etc.
I even put up the link showing how Android apps are tracking people into installing virus because apps are not checked before releasing them on the market (app store).
1. Your fist link shows the crash report. What a big deal to know 0.5% of apps, 1 in 200 might crash and you may need to rerun the app.
2. Your 2nd link showing how auto corrections don’t always work. Most people who use phones know that.
3. Battery problem. This is fixed with an update 5.0.2. Search the google and you will find that most manufactures such as HTC, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola have released the phone with a bug in OS (battery drain, camera not working etc)
Find the link for Google Galaxy Nexus – Top range Android phone.
The problem is to do with the battery drain.

http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/12/why-i-returned-the-samsung-galaxy-nexus.html

In compare to problem with other OS I think most users or future purchasers will find that virus issue is a lot more important than some of the problems you have said with other OS’s. Just see the OP.
If Google want to be a strong player in the mobile market it need to do somthing about this. Other OS have done that.

Because if you are honest, it is sad to scour the net to find negativity on the handsets you do not like, to be honest I'm surprised you even bothered to reply this time, but it is hard to deny that you have a dislike towards android, the thing is you have an alternative that being iOS and should not worry about the shortcomings of other handsets as it does not affect you.
The OP was foolish to click on the link that has nothing to do with android or google, I have that same link on a lottery app , I won't be pressing it as my battery is fine and does not need checking. The thing also the alert does not come up on the phone like an update alert, it is there plain and simple as a banner, the OP didn't need a battery app and if he did , he goes to the market and fetch one, on the whole nobody is suffering virii in anyway that you suggest on android or any other mobile phone for that matter.

thegoodman

Cash-Strapped.T32 wrote: »

Now having said all that I'm not saying the OP above is being a baby, or was particularly silly; - Far from it they've actively sought advice about this issue which is exactly the right thing to do, but I do feel that had the OP had the same problem with a scam email, or having downloaded a rogue windows executable file, the advice would be very different - Although the circumstances are virtually identical.

I wish the OP all the luck in the world getting this sorted; I'm not gonna waste more space here because luckily I've never had to chase money back in this way and I know others can be more helpful in that regard, but I just post the above to try & make the point it's not what you use, but how you use it that keeps you safe and makes the world a happy-place.

Its wrong to think OP have done something wrong. A larger number of mobile phones users do not have knowledge of working of os or know how of you can do this but dont do that. If a lot of Andrid users get tricked into paying money to 3rd party compaines or bank account get hacked, most users will start to look at other OS.

The google should release an app or have something within the OS showing how to protect the phones. You dont expect users to buy the phone and than spend a day going through the training do you?

thegoodman

DUTR wrote: »

Because if you are honest, it is sad to scour the net to find negativity on the handsets you do not like, to be honest I'm surprised you even bothered to reply this time, but it is hard to deny that you have a dislike towards android, the thing is you have an alternative that being iOS and should not worry about the shortcomings of other handsets as it does not affect you.
The OP was foolish to click on the link that has nothing to do with android or google, I have that same link on a lottery app , I won't be pressing it as my battery is fine and does not need checking. The thing also the alert does not come up on the phone like an update alert, it is there plain and simple as a banner, the OP didn't need a battery app and if he did , he goes to the market and fetch one, on the whole nobody is suffering virii in anyway that you suggest on android or any other mobile phone for that matter.

I dont dislike android, more OS the better for everyone. The Google need to make the OS safe for everyone. Most phones are not used by people who have knowledge and know how of insdie the OS or spend a lot of time trying to make the OS safe
If Gogole dont change more and more poeple will start to look at other OS which are safer

This is one reason why still not many businesses are moving to Android system.

DUTR

thegoodman wrote: »

I dont dislike android, more OS the better for everyone. The Google need to make the OS safe for everyone. Most phones are not used by people who have knowledge and know how of insdie the OS or spend a lot of time trying to make the OS safe
If Gogole dont change more and more poeple will start to look at other OS which are safer

This is one reason why still not many businesses are moving to Android system.

You say you don't dislike android, they don't have to do anything, it does not affect you, so don't worry about it and don't feel the need to harbour on about it.
Windows mobile is in its 7th generation now, originally it was a geek OS or have you conveniently forgotten that?
At our work we use iOS and android handsets for pre built applications, it is nothing to do with cost .
Perhaps you maybe worried that iOS is a victim of it's own success just as that is what took Nokia down, they were the 1st to introduce multifeature/smartphones and as the others caught up, Nokia got left behind, there was no choice but to jump into bed with window phones.
But as said, it won't affect you, so stop worrying about it, nobody is going to thank you for it

Cash-Strapped.T32

thegoodman wrote: »

Its wrong to think OP have done something wrong. A larger number of mobile phones users do not have knowledge of working of os or know how of you can do this but dont do that. If a lot of Andrid users get tricked into paying money to 3rd party compaines or bank account get hacked, most users will start to look at other OS.

The google should release an app or have something within the OS showing how to protect the phones. You dont expect users to buy the phone and than spend a day going through the training do you?

No mate, I don't think the OP was particularly silly, or did anything really wrong, and to be fair to me, I did say so explicitly.

My point was more general, but none the less true;

Had the OP downloaded an unknown .exe onto their computer, or fallen for a "click this link!" scam email, then no-one would be surprised they got ripped off/conned.

And further, no-one would think it's strange that Microsoft don't have a special site (like WindowsTunes, or the Win-Market) where every computer program is checked for viruses, or malware, or just plain old-fashioned con artists.

We understand that such a system would be unworkable if we wished to keep the sheer flexibility that we take for granted with Windows.
That's point number 1.


My more general point is that all of us (myself included) tend to let our guards down massively when it comes to phones, because in our heads we're all still living in an age when a phone was just a little bit of plastic that made calls and no harm can be done; But that is no longer the case if we want phones that can do all these cool things, because ore capable phones means more flexible software is required, and that flexibility means that people have the ability to make that software do bad things.

The same level of scrupulousness is required for phones as is for the computers we've been using for years.



Yes, malware is almost a fact of life to look out for when using computers, we all accept that & don't think it's particularly strange that an OS like Win XP or Win7 can get viruses or have mal-ware installed by accident, so then why would it be particularly amazing that a mobile phone OS can do so too?

To single Google out for being lax, or for not caring, or whatever would be exactly the same as singling Bill Gates out for the same thing; None of us do that.

All I'm trying to do is be even-handed in my attitude, no funny business here I promise you.



*EDIT* Just to keep things relevant, I'll admit Apple *do* have a system to limit the amount of malware you can get, but it comes with a cost; Everything has to go through iTunes.

However, as I mention above, that system would be unworkable if say, a programming house wanted to keep it's patented software secret (you can't look at my code! ), or if you wanted to quickly supply software to multiple clients 'machines for example.

iOS is just as susceptible to malware as any modern OS, because code is code; It just happens less because Apple have a system where they have to give the okay to everything before it can be distributed.

But imagine that same model applying to Windows software? It would be chaos.
Google have just opted to take the same approach as Microsoft, the Linux project guys, and every other OS producer before that - It's not uniquely "uncaring", it's just flexibility in return for responsibility, and damage limitation if things to too far awry.