Spam texts / calls

[Someone]

I keep getting spam texts even though my blocker is turned on. Someone keeps sending me messages saying my phone is full of viruses and that they'll gladly clean them out if I click on their link. Is there anyway I can stop from getting them?

[LuckyMobileAntgio · Accepted solution]

Hey there @Someone, 

Welcome to the Community and thanks for your post. 

We have a great support article titled Protecting yourself from telecom fraud that will show you how to flag those types of messages and/or calls. 

Let the Community know if you have any questions.

[San111]

Is it normal to get multiple spam messages and calls daily?

[Happy164]

I successfully activate the SIM and a few hours later I receive the first SMS.

good, the phone is working.

to my astonishment, it's a spam/scam sms.

[MrKevvy]

I transferred from Koodo as it was too expensive (twice the price!) unfortunately I have quickly discovered that this difference may have been at least partially justified.

Call Control is a feature which "helps reduce unwanted calls by prompting incoming callers to enter a randomly-generated number (0-9), which the caller must enter correctly before the call can be connected. Callers with no response (e.g. robo-dialers) or an incorrect response won’t be able to complete the call and will hear a standard Call Control message instead."

(Note that legitimate callers ie friends/family only have to do this once... the system remembers their # so they don't get prompted again once they have successfully passed.)

Is there anything like this with Lucky Mobile or plans to implement it? I have already had half a dozen spam calls just this morning... the usual fraud calls with either a Chinese voice and music (this is CRA tax fraud) or "Revenue Canada" saying my SIN is suspended, etc. I didn't get a single spam call for months with Koodo and this Call Control worked so well I forgot I had it!

Thank you.

[spider]

Currently getting upwards of 6 spam calls everyday .... !

Does lucky not have anything to stop this ?

[MrKevvy]

Unfortunately although that "Protecting yourself from telecom fraud" document is excellent as far as identifying fraud it doesn't have any tips at all, that I could see at least, for avoiding the calls in the first place.

I found an interim solution; it's not the best, but it's all I have. This is in Android so if you have an iPhone then although I am sure it has a similar feature, the menus will be different of course. Open Settings gear from the top, search for spam, open Caller ID and Spam Protection and enable that. Go back and search for spam again and open Block spam and scam calls and enable that, and choose the radio button Block all spam and scam calls. What this will do from then on is silently drop any of the calls that would come up as Potential spam or Potential scam on the call display.

This isn't the most optimal solution I would like, as there is the possibility of a false positive where a number is identified as being spam or scam where it isn't causing an invisibly missed call, and I have seen the designation being wrong before as the database is not updated quickly enough to avoid this. However at least the spam calls have stopped for the time being.

If you have a more up-to-date Android device than I have (12 or later) there is a more advanced spam protection which works like the one described above where the caller has to press a number or otherwise provide info that a robocaller will not be able to do.

Hope this helps!

[cart_bear]

I am beginning to regret signing up at all here, and fed up with this.

The last few days, about 6 different local numbers(709 area code), called my phone. I immediately return the call within seconds, and it says ''number not in service''. ?!

Is anyone getting this? I signed up an old flip phone as a spare phone and the ONLY person who has the new number is my sister, who lives in the same house. So who are these phantom people who seem to vanish in a few minutes? And where did they get this number that no one has? 

I am sick of this over and over, much more and I am done and finding another provider. The number was 5 days old before this started going on. Enough!

[MrKevvy · Accepted solution]

The spammers don't need to know anyone's numbers from any source (ie a directory.) They call as many people as possible to maximize their chances of success, as very few fall for their scams, so they have a computerized system just dial sequential numbers from a known area code-exchange (first three digits.) It flags the numbers where a human answers and then that number becomes valuable, which leads to more and more of them. Because the initial call/message is computerized it costs them very little to make them. Only when the victim takes the bait and presses whatever keys they ask will a human be involved.

The call display numbers are also almost always fake. There is a digital verification system for them that has not been properly implemented in Canada so overseas scammers can get their faked numbers through.

[Charolette1]

Hi was just wanting to let you guys know as they are spoofing bell phone numbers yo make you answer their call. I received a call from a +180740733** thinking it was from someone in thunder bat I answered it and was someone telling me that I had placed an order press 1 to cancel. I was so confused and stunned I didn't press anything. I just wanted to let you know they are spoofing numbers in the northwestern ontario area. I wanted to share so no one will fall for this. 

[Warzouing]

As 613-882-xxxx and 613-236-xxxx are 2 NPA-NXX flagged as spammers by yellowpages web page, i just wonder if Lucky Mobile can apply at least call control to those two. In general, i'm satisfied with the service but it seemed that i'm getting more and more spam calls (6 to 8 per day) unlike the time i was with my old provider who provided the option to block spam calls. It's really sad if i have to change again.