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
Hi,
Please block these scamer attached as follows, from your network.
I'm so sick and tired of receiving these messages. I've been saving them for the last few weeks to report, hopefully you can do something about it.
Thanks
Hello SC_12,
Welcome to the community!
Thank you for flagging that message! That message is most definitely a SCAM and/or SPAM. A couple of tell-tale signs that the message is SPAM. Firstly, Fido won't send etransfers via email or text message link. If they do offer such a promotion, 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 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.
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.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Hello Medzs,
Welcome to the community!
Wow, thank you for informing the community about those SPAM / SCAM messages. I think everyone is fed up about receiving those types of messages, as well as SPAM / SCAM calls. Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether anything can be done about them at this point. The spammers / scammers have resorted to sending MMS rather than SMS in attempts to avoid getting reported.
I had previously posted about converting MMS to SMS so the message links can be forwarded to the SPAM reporting centre (7726)(see here). However, I'm now not sure whether flagging the link would affect MMS messages. With SMS, the system can scan the message for the flagged phrases/links and block them. Unfortunately, with MMS, the link and image (and/or header etc) are sent as data. I think it would be more difficult to isolate phrases or links from a data message without overtly invading privacy. Scanning SMS does not actually read messages. On the other hand, I think every MMS would have to be at least viewed in order to identify fraudulent links and/or phrases.
That said, I think I will personally continue to forward the links from MMS SPAM / SCAM with the hopes it might help others.
I understand some people believe the phone numbers should be blocked. However, it is unlikely the owner of the phone number is actually sending the messages. The scammers/spammers often use spoofed phone numbers when sending those messages and making SCAM and/or SPAM calls (see here).
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
Fido Solutions
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Hello Creativebyte,
Welcome to the community!
Thank you for flagging that SPAM message! Unfortunately, the spammers / scammers have resorted to sending MMS rather than SMS in attempts to avoid getting reported. There are a few things we can try to bypass their attempts (see below and here).
Since the link is in the text portion, forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM) would add it to the filter.
Hope this helps 😀
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
