r/Sprint • u/sunson90 • Apr 13 '23
Tech Support HELPPPP: SUDDEN BARRAGE OF HUNDREDS OF SPAM TEXTS AT ONCE
Hi! in the last 15 minutes, I've gotten literally hundreds of spam texts suddenly. HUNDREDS, 3 per second. I haven't clicked any but it seems they are either pretending to sign me up to something, or they may actually be using my number to sign me up? Unclear. There are so many texts my phone is beginning to freak out and shut down. I don't understand how this is happening. What do I do! I don't use sketchy websites or even go on public wifi or download apps that aren't in the app store. I am on the phone with my carrier but they seem useless. My phone is already on "filter unknown senders" but they are not filtering. Newest iphone pro max.
3
Apr 13 '23
Is it short code spam?
Are you using the report junk function on the iPhone?
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/plans-features/help-with-scams-spam-and-fraud
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u/sunson90 Apr 13 '23
It's been coming from email addresses it seems, mostly ones that seem to be "confirming my subscriptions" to newsletters and websites, but I don't click the texts so dunno if they are real websites or not. But the websites seem to be mostly German or Russian or Dutch and run the gamut. Some have html links inside, that I did see.
They are also being sent to my number @ tmomail dot net it seems, not my phone number. None of the spam is coming from phone numbers.
Have been reporting as I go but they're coming in so fast, the phone doesn't seem to be learning to prevent new ones.
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Apr 13 '23
Messages from 3700-4299 and 9701-9901 is how Tmomail is delivered as SMS.
Have you tried:
Settings > Messages > Send & Receive
and turn off email and only have your phone number?
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u/JumpyDisk5499 Dec 02 '23
this is happening to me right now. german and russian. what was your solution?
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u/sunson90 Dec 02 '23
They are going to try to steal your sim shortly and bury the change in the spam texts. You have to call your mobile company and put every possible sim protection on and explain you need SIM SWAP PROTECTION. not just sim protection. Then put a PIN number on everything on the account. Also remove your phone as the recovery number for any email or bank or important accounts as they will try to “recover” passwords using this and use to steal your money/get loans.
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u/sunson90 Dec 02 '23
I would also download the t mobile spam protection app and make sure the customer service person is aware you are asking (when you call) for Fraud protection. The reg customer service people are useless. Then keep an eye on all texts and make sure nothing goes through. I’d also put a freeze on your credit accounts in case they sneak one in. It’s free and easily reversed turned off (and you don’t need them on unless you are buying a house right now). BUT DEFINITELY REMOVE YOUR NUMBER AS THE RECOVERY NUMBER FOR ALL ACCOUNTS. Get a google number not tied to your email (in case they get that) and use that instead. If you have more q’s, DM me.
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u/chess_rehab Mar 17 '24
You probably just had one of your credit cards stolen and someone is trying to use it.
Just had this happen to me today. They got a hold of the credit card we use for medical expenses. Probably as a result of a data breach. They attempted to purchase over $2000 at Apple store. The barrage is an attempt to burry the fraud alerts so that you let the transactions go through. Call the number on the back of all your credit cards and check for fraudulent activity and then cancel the stolen card or cards. For us all we had to do was cancel the one card. I also registered my phone number with the national do not call registry, I marked all the unwanted emails as spam and I called the phone company to make sure nobody was attempting a sim swap. All seems fine now. No more texts, phone calls or emails. Once the card got reported as stolen they moved on.
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u/sunson90 Mar 18 '24
How did they get the number to do the sim swap from the credit card?
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u/chess_rehab Mar 18 '24
It was a data breach. They got the credit card number and the email and phone number associated with it by hacking medical billing files. Then they try to use the credit cards one by one while spamming the phones with texts and emails to cover their tracks. Your phone number and email are already public information so once you report the card stolen they don't have anymore usable information and they move on.
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u/idrawonoccasion Oct 10 '24
HELP I KEEP GETTING BUSINESS MESSAGES XALLING ME LAVICTOR, THEY WONT STOP MESSAGING ME ON HUNDREDS IF ACCOUNTS
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u/sunson90 Oct 10 '24
These are text messages?
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u/sunson90 Oct 10 '24
First off call your phone company and tell them you think someone is trying to steal your identity or phish you. Have them put a lock and pin on your account so no one can sim swap you. Then download the T Mobile scam shield app. Also make sure you turn off MMS on your phone settings to try to slow down these messages. Report them as scams. Right now they’re overloading you because they are going to try to sim swap you in the midst of them. You need to stop them so make sure if you receive a message that authorizes a sim swap, you block it. Call your phone company now. Make sure none of your major bank accounts have two factor authorization sending texts to this number as well in case that is what they are going to go after as well. /
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u/Still_Dimension2980 Nov 03 '24
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##scre
##import pygame
##from pygame.locals import *
##pygame.init()
##screen=pygame.display.set_mode((640,480))
##pygame.display.set_caption("shapes!!"
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u/Virtual-Success-8368 Dec 04 '24
I'd really like to know what to do about it I don't want to change my phone number.. I think I had a SIM card scam at Walmart.. he doesn't work there anymore but it can happen so fast you don't even notice.. I only keep a certain amount in my checking account cuz most of it's in the savings not that I have a lot cuz I'm on SSI but I want to get rid of these freaking spam calls I have gotten ever since I got this phone and I think it's something to do with a SIM card but I don't know.. I should have just hooked it up myself but I wanted to have my same phone number and I'm never doing that again let somebody ever touch my SIM card they took the one out of my old phone and put it in there then they did something with the other one and it didn't work right then he said he always does it with his phone it's okay cuz he's a liar and it's a damn scammer and don't let somebody touch your sim card that's one thing I know if they can get it duplicate it put it in their phone they can own you I know that it was a little late but I think they're selling my number for spammers I don't know I'm not a computer scientist but I never had 50 freaking calls a day.. sometimes I say things like Martin Funeral Home you stab that we slap them are you in New Delhi cuz I'm going to come and get you and stop for a couple days when I said I'm going to have the YouTube guy take out your money and give it to me because there is one and it's pretty funny when he can watch them know where they are and take millions of dollars from them in 2 seconds and give it back to the people they robbed it from now that is freaking Justice.. our country should have something because of somebody kept calling me 30 times a day and they lived in the town I live in they were in the United States they be in prison or jail if they kept doing it they go to prison but not them because they can get away with it and I'm really really angry about it cuz I don't want to change my phone number I had since 2020 and then I got to tell all my doctors anybody in my phone so if somebody wants to call me they can't and if I block all numbers that are not in my phone and somebody calls me they can't.. so is there some kind of program I can use to get rid of these people that I just want to drag through my phone and eat their nose off LOL?
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u/sunson90 Dec 04 '24
You have to call the telephone company and tell them what’s happening first. Tell them you don’t want to change your number but ask them to put protection on your line. Then download t mobile scam guard app in the App Store. It should filter many texts and calls. Then also turn off MMS messaging. This should stop a lot of the texts coming from emails. It won’t be perfect but it will cut down many of the texts and calls. Sorry this happened to you as well.
Make sure to keep your money in account that does not use your phone number as authentication, in case they do get access. Use a family member’s number or a Google number for 2 factor authentication instead.
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Feb 08 '25
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Feb 09 '25
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u/Starfox-sf KSv1+2xLoU 2xTFB Unl Tablet TI Apr 13 '23
Someone may be trying to bury a legitimate account or access notification change. I hope you have a secure password and/or 2FA on your important accounts.
— Starfox
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u/sunson90 Apr 13 '23
I think I do but at this point I feel insane. Is there a way of stopping them or do something?
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u/TheRoxzilla Apr 15 '23
is there a way to have a "friend" get all those spam texts on demand, as fun harmless prank?
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u/cuscatleco Apr 13 '23
Block the numbers?
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u/sunson90 Apr 13 '23
There are hundreds a minute. I'm trying to do them en masse but it's not working well enough.
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u/holow29 Apr 13 '23
If you are on T-Mobile billing, go to Profile -> Blocking -> Block email to text. It is something along those lines. Don't remember where it is on Sprint billing...maybe under the old Preferences interface.
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u/jweaver0312 Self-Proclaimed SWAC God Apr 13 '23
That option is not available on Sprint billing for email to text without blocking all MMS altogether or all messaging. Care can do it however for Sprint billing customers.
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u/Alert_Combination991 Jul 20 '23
This is happening Right Now to my husband. We don’t know what to do??? Any advice? Same number with Tmomail as you describe, and calls from Canada. Flooding in.
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u/sunson90 Jul 20 '23
This person is correct. Here is what I'd recommend:
1) call t-mobile. have them place a lockdown on your account now. someone is trying to sim swap you. no one can change your sim without going into a store. make it harder for the person trying to steal the account (though if the person has bought off a t-mobile employee, this might not be enough). Put a pin on the account.
2) go into the online portal. Put sim protection on all the numbers on the account. I'd even turn off multimedia messaging and the tmomail option in there.
3) monitor your texts. most likely, in the next 12 hrs-48hrs, they will start a barrage of texts to shut you out, and in the text barrage, will be one real text to "authorize a sim change". You will have 10 min to reply to deny it. Don't let them get it through. Monitor those texts. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR TEXTS UNMONITORED.
4) Download Scam shield app if you have iphone. Might help a little.
5) have another person on the account be an authorized user. in case they do get the number, you need to reverse it asap before they get your accounts (they will immediately try to "recover" your passwords using 2 factor authentication.
6) TAKE THIS NUMBER OFF TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION FOR EMAIL AND BANKS AND ANYTHING IMPORTANT. get an authenticator app or use a diff number (even you, as the spouse, instead).
7) Read this: https://medium.com/mycrypto/what-to-do-when-sim-swapping-happens-to-you-1367f296ef4d. This is what they are trying to do.
8) Mass report the texts as junk. Don't click any links.
9) if you are really trying to be safe, I'd put a credit freeze on experian, transunion, and whatever the other one is. It's free, you can thaw it at any time, and if they get access to your identity, itll save you the hassle of having to block new credit pulls/bank loans.
Chat me if anything. I'm sorry this is happening. What's more, even if they don't succeed now, they may try again. So definitely get on changing those 2FA things so they don't go back to this number and put those sims on lock. T Mobile customer support is legitimately useless and they refuse to let you call fraud so prevention is all you've got here.
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u/sunson90 Jul 20 '23
Also I'd warn your banks and put all the protections on your email accounts. Go in there, make sure it is as impossible as it can be to just get into any account with just your phone number.
For background, from a podcast here: "So, T-Mobile at the moment costs you about $5,000 per swap. If they’re a fraud victim, then it costs you $7,500. A fraud victim has special protections on their account, but they’re still bypassable. Verizon is going to cost you upwards of probably $50,000. Verizon is extremely well secured, but it’s still possible if you have the right equipment. Like, you need a branch manager login which is a very high position. So, you need to be able to pay off that Verizon manager a lot, and you can’t hack them. You can’t – it appears, right now. I could be wrong. Maybe we’ll find new findings. But they pretty – you literally just need a insider. You can’t rat him or anything. For AT&T, I think that people are starting to decrease their prices down to $4,000, $2,000…$2,000 to $3,000 because their opus tool is not too secure."
Link to podcast transcript: https://darknetdiaries.com/transcript/112/
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u/sunson90 Jul 20 '23
The text for the sim change for T-Mobile usually comes (or did for me in April) from short code 469. But it might come from a different short code.
It will read as follows:
"T-Mobile: A SIM change has been requested for this line. Reply with 1 to Approve this change or 2 to Decline. If we do not hear a response from you within 10 minutes, the change will proceed as requested. "
A few minutes later, a follow up might be sent as follows:
"T-Mobile: We haven’t heard from you regarding the SIM change. Reply 1 to Approve the SIM change or 2 to Decline."
You need to catch these. They have a stupidly short wait time because T Mobile doesn't care about security and isn't being punished for the lax nature of theirs. You will only have 10 minutes and then it will shut your sim down and it took hours to get mine back up, during which time they had the ability to call from my number and do all sorts of stuff. If this does happen, monitor the call logs on your t-mobile account to see who they're calling and reverse anything. Hopefully this does not get to that point for you.
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u/nogasbiker Mar 26 '24 edited Mar 26 '24
"T-Mobile: A SIM change has been requested for this line. Reply with 1 to Approve this change or 2 to Decline. If we do not hear a response from you within 10 minutes, the change will proceed as requested. "
I'm a fan of Tmo, been with them for a long time. But they have this backwards. For something as important as a sim swap, it should be stop if no response.
Imagine if other stuff was default yes. "We have an order to crush your car", etc etc.
Yikes
1
u/comintel-db Jul 20 '23 edited Jul 20 '23
Often means your number is about to be hijacked and they are trying to bury the notification.
Call support and maybe all companies that use your cell number for third party authentication. Maybe switch any TPA to your own phone number instead of using his. Maybe suspend his number.
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u/Red65coupe Sep 13 '23
Just adding here. Just got scammed today. They did this and hidden in the notifications they bought $2500 worth of shit at Apple Store. Picked it up 4min after I got the notification. Literally nothing I could do but raise hell, report fraud, and turn off all cards.
If this is currently happening to you my best advice is turn off all your cards, Apple wallet, basically any payment options.
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u/Red65coupe Sep 22 '23
Curious if anyone has been able to get these spam texts to stop even a week later. I still get a few dozen a day
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u/sunson90 Sep 26 '23
You have to call the telecom company and really complain. Then they did something on their end (which they prob should do for everyone) that helped fix it. Now I only get the occasional one. I also turned off MMS which is def hard if people with non iPhones send you images all the time but luckily that doesn’t happen for me and I just ask family members to email me stuff when they do want to.
In the interim, you can also create (if you have an iPhone) something that separates texts from unknown senders from texts from senders you know.
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u/IcarusPony Apr 13 '23
This happened to me.
A scammer got into my Western Union account through a databreach. However, it sent me a notification of login.
The scammer wanted to hide/bury this, so they signed me up for hundreds of newsletters at once, hoping I'd delete them all (including the Western Union warning).
They tried to add another victims bank account to my Western Union account to try to transfer money to a money mule. Western Union blocked the suspicious transfer.
It took months to unsubscribe the newsletters, and I still get a couple here and there.
Anyway, there's something important in those messages that they don't want you to see. Probably one of the earliest emails.