Hello,
I have been forwarding my spam email-to-SMS to @FidoStephen via PMs to help improve the spam filter for sms.fido.ca
Recently, another community member also posted a similar spam SMS they received. Perhaps a thread dedicated to collecting examples of these types of SMS spam might also help improve the spam filter.
Thoughts?
Cheers
Yet more scams via SMS - showing this number: +1 (263) 388-8964
fidocanada.ca ... what a dead giveaway!
Hello Rting,
Welcome to the community!
You're right! That message is most definitely a SCAM and/or SPAM. Have you also forwarded the message to 7726 as suggested in the solution? Once audited, it will be used to augment the SPAM filter (see here). Unfortunately, as fast as these messages get blocked by the SPAM filter, the spammers/scammers find new ways to bypass the filter.
Myself and other community members have also received that particular message from different phone numbers. I understand forwarding those messages does not include phone number. However, it is unlikely the owner of the phone number is sending the messages. The scammers/spammers often use spoofed phone numbers when sending those messages and making SCAM and/or SPAM calls (see here).
It's great you found the message to be a dead giveaway. However, it might not be as obvious to some people. A couple of tell-tale signs the the message is SPAM. Firstly, Fido won't send etransfers via email or text message link. Fido will automatically credit your account.
In addition, if Fido does send legitimate SMS, it will come from one of their short codes, not a phone number. As far as I am aware, many of their promotions come from 4745 or 4735 (see here and here). Admittedly, since spoofing is so wide-spread, it's possible the spammers/scammers could eventually learn to spoof those codes as well.
Another sign is Fido's recent adoption of the a URL shortening service. I believe it's Bit.ly (see here). As far as I am aware, the links would be for the Fido.ca domain
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hello eSDeePee,
I understand how it might be desirable to identify those text messages as probable or likely spam. However, the reporting of these SPAM or SCAM messages to 7726 (SPAM)(see solution below) is meant to block those particular messages for all users (see here). So, they do filter out the identified sketchy links. Unfortunately, as fast as these messages get blocked by the SPAM filter, the spammers/scammers find new ways to bypass the filter.
The system marking calls as probable or likely spam uses STIR/SHAKEN protocols. However, as far as I am aware, those protocols don't work with text messages.
If it is possible to have an AI system to identify possible new sketchy links, that would be a useful feature in addition to the reporting centre.
Cheers
I have been forwarding messages to the Fido Spam Numbers but there are some messages which for some reason does not get forwarded. It comes back as error. Could be some code that the Spammer uses which is blocking from being forwarded? I even took a screenshot to forward it but it is not going through. Don't know if it is an issue from Fido. This is the the latest message I received and which I have been trying to forward to Fido.
Hello Moz,
Thank you for continuing to flag these SPAM messages! Yes, I have also noticed that most, if not all, of my recent SPAM messages are now MMS.
There are a few things we can try to bypass their attempts (see below and here).
In addition, it should be mentioned that the system is not Fido's reporting centre. It's Nationwide and I believe it's also available in the US (see here and here).
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hello,
I haven't posted my SCAM / SPAM messages in a while, but this one had me take pause for a moment before I forwarded it to the reporting centre (7726):
I didn't attempt to access the link, but on the surface, they are using a .ca domain which is new to me. Having that domain shown almost fooled me. Be careful! However, all of the other indicators I have mentioned in other posts appear to still hold true.
In attempting to forward the message to 7726, I needed to remove the image as well as the subject header from the forwarded message. It was successfully received by the system.
Cheers
Hello Mhemchand,
Welcome to the community!
Thank you for continuing to flag these SPAM messages! Unfortunately, I don't think the system is able to accept MMS messages. I have noticed that most, if not all, of my recent SPAM messages are now MMS. I have found that if the subject heading is removed from the forwarded message, it will often convert the message back to SMS and will be able to receivable by the system. With your message, the inclusion of the Canada Post logo would also make the message MMS. Deleting the image from the forwarded message should revert the message back to SMS.
That would also be the reason the screenshot you attempted to sent also did not work.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
