posted
This is a scam, someone is spamming people by IM trying to get them to buy a worthless stock, thus driving up the price so the person who's sending the messages can dump it at a profit. The stock will crash shortly thereafter, and everyone who bought into it will lose money.
There is nothing for you to be "really worried" about unless you go out and bought the stock. Just ignore it.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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It sounds like "penny stocks". Or whatever we call them now after inflation. It is a stock tip suggesting that you buy Fredricks Entertainment stock. They think the price will go upo $5 a share by the end of the week. I think it is selling for about $.75 right now. If a spam like this can get enough people to buy the stock, the price will go up. But, don't hold your breath for five dollars.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
In fact, if you have some money you were planning on investing, I have a little gold mine here in Nevada, I could tell you about!
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
My sister's getting text spams too. I just get friends who want to share phone-cam pictures and don't understand that my plan doesn't cover those messages and downloads.
The really sucky part is that our carrier has told us that there's no way to disable text messaging entirely if we have a text-capable phone, so we get stuck paying extra for these stupid things even though we don't want them.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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I always set my IM programs to only accept messages from people on my buddy list. That prevents IM spam, but I don't know what to do about phone spam. Really annoying. Maybe you can file a complaint with the FCC.
Besides, AT&T (T) or Corning (GLW) are much better stock picks right now Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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Ok, I work for a cell company (I won't tell you which one) but here's the thing. There's a difference between getting text spammed and getting spam through your IM service. Your cell company has no control over what someone sends you via IM. You are choosing to log in to a third party service, and any spam issues should go to them.
However, if you are getting unsolicited text messages apart from IMs, you should report it to your service provider. Especially if those messages are attempting to sell you something, claim you've won something, and or contain vulgar pictures or language. Spam in the forms of text messages is against the law (unlike email) because text messages cost the recipient money, and service providers can potentially trace the messages and take action against the spammer. That said, I can make no guarantees.
Edit:Goody, who is your service provider? Almost all of the service providers offer messaging blocks.
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Goody Scrivener: I've got Sprint. My sister has Cingular. And both our carriers told us the same thing.
I would tell them that you absolutely refuse to pay any charges for incoming text or picture messages and see what they say then. I bet not getting any money will give them more incentive to help you out.
Actually... if you're with Sprint, they'll probably just revoke your contract. They seem to be into that lately.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I got this same text about 2 hours ago. I'm glad someone translated, as I had no idea what it was.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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.... You can get Sprint to revoke your contract??
How?
Does that mean you don't have to wait until the end of the two years to switch?
Edit: And on the topic of text messages, I'm not into them. I got a few from random places like my dentist's office, and I wasn't keen on paying for the stupid things. So I had Sprint block them. (I just don't understand the appeal of text messages. Why send a telegram when you can make a telephone call?)
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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'Cause you can do it without talking on the phone. There are plenty of times when I can't or don't want to make calls (work, movies, dinner, at the gym, in the car, etc.) but I can still send and respond to texts. One of the things I like about texting? You can't be overheard.
I'll also send texts if I'm not sure someone is awake. Most people's text alerts are just a single beep (or something simple like that) and won't wake them up like a persistent ring will. If they answer and I need to talk to them I'll call then. There are also areas that are cellular dead zones, so you won't have any luck making or receiving calls. But you can still get texts, though, partially because they're transmitted on a different frequency but mainly because the text server will keep sending the message until it's received.
After hurricane Katrina, almost everyone I know communicated by texting. Regular landlines where down and cell coverage was very spotty.
Texting, for me, is like sending someone an email that I know they're going to get immediately. I'll send mass texts to my friends to see if everybody wants to see a movie on Friday, or have a bbq.
Does that help you understand the appeal? Most people I know who say that switch their stance 180 degrees after about two weeks of trying it. My parents even text, now. Not frequently, but occasionally. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but it's certainly been handy for me.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Sure, I can see their appeal if you have a pretty active social life. I don't, so I guess that's why I don't see their point--at least not for me personally. If I want to talk to someone I just call them or, if it's not a great time for me to talk, I'll email.
Be careful about those bright displays when texting during a movie, though. Those can be just as annoying as a phone call. I can't say I understand texting during a movie I paid to see either... Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Texting is very common here mostly because it's so cheap - 2 rupees to send a text message vs. 10 or 15 rupees a minute to talk. When all you have to say can be said in a couple of short text messages, it's far cheaper, and price does matter a lot here.
Plus, as previously mentioned, it's a lot more private. This in a country where people have incredible hearing - it's unbelievable.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Well, it's not like I'm carrying on a conversation via texts when I'm in a movie. Typically, if someone calls me and I'm in a movie I silence the phonecall and send them a text to tell them I'm in a movie and I'll call them after.
And on the movie annoyance scale, I put frequent bathroom/concession stand trips, crying or talking kids, and people who kick my seat far above the light from a cellphone display screen. I can't ever remember seeing one and having it distract from my moviegoing experience. YMMV.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Bright screens can certainly distract from the movie. I had a jerk in front of me several movies ago who texted all through the show. He had a large well lighted screen. In the dark theater it was almost as bright as a flashlight would have been. I always tell my Boy Scouts that shining a flashlight in someones face is analagous to spitting. They might not know analagous. They do know spitting. Turn the darn thing off or get a take home movie.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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I got text-message spam on my cell phone for several days in a row awhile back. Seems to have stopped now. I was upset that if it had caused me to go over my text-message limit for the month it might have cost me. However, that didn't happen, and Cingular basically says there is nothing that can be done about it.
Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Salsa: Ah ok...i'll just leave texting alone for a while.
If you don't open it you don't have to pay.
This is not correct. Now, for picture messages, you can set your cell phone so that it will not automatically download the message, thereby preventing you from paying, but text messages cannot be blocked that way, and you do have to pay for them, opened or not.
BTW Goody, they may not offer a text block, but they are lying if they say that it cannot be done. My company easily blocks messages at the customer request, and all it takes is one little feature.
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I love texting! It's extremely handy and fun. When you call you have to set aside time to talk, and you usually talk for a few minutes at least. You have to have all the "what going on"s and the "talk to you later"s. It takes up time. Texting is something you can do without a commitment of any more time than it takes to write the message. It's like the difference between imming and sending an email. I would never talk on the phone if I could text everyone. Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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