There is a very interesting tale presently unravelling on Jeff Ooi’s blog, Screenshots, regarding SMS spam messages.
Here is my own experience with SMS spams, the latest one occuring at 1.41am this morning. I was woken up from my sleep when my mobile went off, I saw the message and immediately sat down to write a letter to MCMC. I’ve been doing that every time I receive a spam. If you are affected, it will do you good to complain too because it is your money. But first, remember to read Jeff Ooi and lend him your support.
Click here to read the rest of this post on my new It’s All In The Planning blog.
Monday, 2 July 2007 at 7:53 pm
Know about why simple common SMS issue just like email issues was 10 years ago read this:
http://mobilebedsidenews.blogspot.com
Jeff ooi being paid to do sabotage, expect too much on technology. What the hell.
Sunday, 8 July 2007 at 5:11 am
Everybody gets spam and scam nowadays, just like email. Most of the spam and scam SMS are coming from oversea like China or Africa, read newspaper The Star, there are many clear scam examples and clearly defined.
Jeff Ooi everybody knows he is the kind of person who likes to mislead people by generalize unrelated issues to complete his story.
Read proper newspapers not blogs (and lies). Next time you doubt what SMS you receive, just think like Email. Email/SMS, Spam and Scam are different. Found them POST the evidence here for public reading.
Sunday, 8 July 2007 at 9:36 am
SS Quah replies:
Hi, Cecelie,
Thank you for your response.
I am just as critical of Jeff Ooi on the writings in his blog but I find a common ground with him regarding this SMS scam and spam. (My concern is SMS spam, not SMS scam, because I know a scam when I see one and I can handle it.) Agreeing with him on this issue does not mean that I am wholly supportive of his cause or motive.
But it is very true about the SMS spam. Unless you have been affected by them - which I have, and these rather one-sided correspondences with En Ismail of MCMC were carried out long before SMS spams became an issue on Screenshots - you will not realise the long-term implications.
If for no reason, you find yourself being charged for unsolicited subscriptions to SMS services - which I have, because I do not allow my handphone to be used by anyone else - you’ll have cause to believe that those SMS service providers are unscrupulous and would go to any means to harvest mobile numbers from any number of sources including perhaps people in the celcos as well.
So, to summarise, yes, I have been affected personally by SMS spams; my complaints to MCMC were made quite independently; I welcome Jeff Ooi’s reporting on the issue; but it does not mean that I fully support his politics.
Regards
SS Quah
Penang, Malaysia
Sunday, 8 July 2007 at 1:31 pm
Nice Entry !
Sunday, 8 July 2007 at 1:56 pm
well done guys! jeff ooi does has his points. we don’t blame him for his timit IT knowledge and generalized sms to spam and scam. I agree his political method to defame innocent companies for the mess which have not had any proof is too much. the bad apples that he’s believed to be paid by AND being spamming YOU above are services from AKN Mtech and MNC Wireless, the two companies pretent they are good boys and frame thei innocent competitors into their crime! You evidence is very good, keep up the good work!
Sunday, 8 July 2007 at 2:04 pm
by the way the sex services you get from the codes above are ebuzz (akn mtech services) and mnc wireless subscription services. they seems did not charges u money but just normal promo msg. still u may want to ask where they get ur numbers (big ethical question) and this sis straight mcmc regulation breach for spamming. strange jeff ooi never reveal these 2 companies crime further proof the industry gossip he got paid very fat! make it worst akn mtech and mnc wireless (the two largest spammers) have quickly gang up and form an association to point the arrow to their competitors. they think consumer like u and me are stupid. the blog above mobilebedsidenews.blogspot.com gave very goos insight. check it out what could be done to stop the evil and give consumer a justice.
Sunday, 8 July 2007 at 2:35 pm
Quick search:
32322 = ebuzz = AKN Mtech (non-register/illegal CP association chairman wannabe)
39898 = MNC WIRELESS SDN BHD (non-register/illegal CP association committee wannabe)
36633 = Macro Kiosk Sdn Bhd (obviously many spammers use their services. Someone should clean up their poor system.)
AKN Mtech and MNC Wireless are running their own services (means they SPAM you),
where Macro Kiosk hosting hundreds of third party services (means they allow their clients to SPAM you).
All are solicited promotion (legal promotion, just like email or Post mail), if you used their services and agreed to their terms.
All are unsolicited promotion (which is not illegal but annoying SPAM. Grey area.), if they send you free promotion and not charges.
All are unsolicited SPAM (which is illegal) if they charges you money on the spot. That is like stealing. Many cases telcos record will show you did use a service, or your family, kid or friend did use your phone.
All are SCAM (which has to go to jail!!!) if they sell SEX, GAMBLING or MONEY-CHEATING fraud scheme. You report police!
Saturday, 21 July 2007 at 11:51 am
A Foreigner Point of View:-
The largest spammer is MACROKIOSK, AKN MTECH and MNC WIRELESS. They spam for business. They live on spamming.
Others live on advertising, by themselves or by their rich customers. They pay for business.
My point on Spam and Crime:-
- User registered subscription services is content, not spam.
- Unsolicited SMS with or without charges are spam.
- Solicited charges most likely are either telco system error or recycle numbers, you can point out their problem and ask for refund. Very normal, it happens to Telekom or Celcom on voice phone billing itself repeatedly until today. Sounds familiar?
- Unsolicited charges on purpose is crime. Spammers who charges on unsolicited sms usually do it in BIG SCALE. They will not charge only 1 person. They will charge 1,000 or 10,000 for RM10,000 to make sense to cheat money. Found one, suspend their business.
If you want a foreigner point of view, here is how I see it. There are few real unscrupulous content providers out there, mostly foreigners themselves, especially from Singapore. Hint.
Content providers being large, having more money and more content to do business doesn’t mean they are spammer. This is where the misunderstanding arrise. This seems to be the business loosing end wants to drive you to that direction.
Funny part is how come the largest spammer AKN MTECH LIM SENG BOON, as you can see from your handphone record you’re being SPAMMED by them, is sitting in MCMC meeting room and get away from the same offenses listed on MCMC website?
If you have been CHARGED MONEY, ask the telco, they will find you the root cause of the problem. I believe they will pay you any dispute if you are not satisfied even they have proof of date and time you subscribe or use a service.
I will want those few unscrupulous content providers, especially the few foreign spammers got cleaned up. hint. That is the root cause of the problem.
Saturday, 27 October 2007 at 8:02 am
Macrokiosk is just a gateway. The devil who spoil all SMS business in Malaysia is a company called zingmobile. Another Singaporean called mtouche. They are the extreme spammer and scammer cheating money in Singapore and Malaysia. The company zingmobile.net change name several times to Parade9 Sdn Bhd and Mega Mobile Solutions Sdn Bhd. Hide themselves in Johor Address: 801-B, Floor 8, City Plaza, Jln Tebrau, Johor Bahru. SMS short code 33303, 36885, 32699. 2 years ago they charges RM10/SMS for subscription service and spam RM200-RM300 per month per victim falling into their trap using misleading advertisement. They ran away from Malaysia after being punished. Recently they are back to cheat users using different company name. Latest scam is they charges RM4/content 3 times a week. They hide the service instruction and pricing information at the bottom of advertisement which is illegal. Jeff Ooi if so smart why not catch this father of all criminal here instead of simply accuse the innocent.
Monday, 10 March 2008 at 3:45 pm
AKN MTECH or M3 Technology the largest spammer, spam supplier, scammer, and worst paying IT company fire staff especially the Indian like they don’t have a life. They are part of UMNO politic support and killer the same time, spam for both politic and play the both politic. Kill this two head snake.
Sunday, 16 March 2008 at 4:27 pm
The company is M3 Technologies, not Technology. The same criminal Lim Seng Boon is still there. I left, many left, good bye.
Tuesday, 8 April 2008 at 2:12 am
Foreign CPs. The problem made up and created by M3 Technologies Lim Seng Boon, MNC Wireless Chung Jaan Hao and Zed Mobile Romuald team up to bully CPs especially Singaporean. All the 3 culprit services are with bugs and mistakes but they get away covering each other. Other CPs especially Singaporean are reported and enlarge small issue become big, and common issue become highlight. Beware!
Friday, 18 April 2008 at 1:48 pm
6101970
Friday, 25 April 2008 at 12:19 pm
Beware of short code Maxis 22200. The company Ionnex hide behind the spam for months. read this copy:
On the radar:
———————————————————
Ionnex Sdn Bhd (largest spammer - real spam using modem)
Last record of spam and scam started: 21 August 2007 - 23 April 2008
Total 8 months of day light robbery.
Here’s the latest one:
Ionnex has been using SPAM for months and Sex incentive messages to gain users. You would be surprise how come “Uncle Lim/Jeff/MCMC/Telco” did not take any action, because they are not in the victimize target.
The rogue SPAM has trace back to long time ago evidence here:
http://marvinlee.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/shortcode-new-tactic-for-spam/
(Read the *** below for past record, since August 2007)
Short code: 33225
Sender: 60172521147 (modem number)
Date: 23 Apr 2008 9.38am
Message: Sayang! Nak tengok movie clip Pretty Girl??? Htr ON HIT ke 33225 untuk movie clip yg best ini. FREE REG. ~Love Ann~
The trick & abuse:
1. Spam using modem (unsolicited spam).
2. Use sex movie to lure user sign ups
3. No pricing mentioned
4. No frequency of messages mentioned
5. Did not mention its a subscription service
All above valid as violation of guideline and compliance abuses, repeatedly abused for “months” and “Uncle Lim/Jeff/MCMC/Telco” are sleeping unnoticed. Under telcos precedence, the spammer should have been suspended permanently and refunded their robbery to all users the last few months since they are “knowingly abuse, directly rob users, repeatedly”!!! Why nobody report? Because the Uncle & gang only focus on sabotaging innocent players he deem personal hatred - he did not know this spammer has abused telcos and rank to top 5 post today.
The industry needed clear, healthy, focused regulation, not unnoticed, non-transparent, old fashion, back stabbing. Wake up!
Other Ionnex short codes:
32988
33112
33499
36989
Name: IONNEX SDN BHD
Address: Unit B-6-14, Block B, Megan Avenue II,12
Hotline 1: 03-21665481
Hotline 2: 016-3369221
————————————————–
*** Past Record in 21 August 2007
+60172956034 with SMS content “Hi Susan! U nak download sexy girl movie clip & MP3 kan? taip ON MOV dan SMS ke 32312 utk Movie. Htr ON HIT ke 36989 untuk MP3 Truetone. Free Reg! From: ANN “
Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 2:11 pm
Well! I too have received such SMS recently indicating this “+60174408115 Yang, nak tgk video hebat ku? Tulis ON YA dan htr ke number ni: 33112.
Macam-macam video dan MP3 menunggu Yang.Pdftrn FREE. I tunggu u, babe. Frm Lisa[Fwd Msg]
You know what!? I did subscribe ON YA 33112. Then send message to this number +60174408115 “Hi babe, I skrg tunggu video, tak ada satu pun”. Later I unsubscribed by using STOP ALL 33112.
After 6 hours ago, I received an incomming message, a video clip advertisement 1123144240828, and it played pepsi ads; its funny and laughable one.
Later I tried to subscribe again, this time I type SEXY 33112 and a message reply call IONNEX SDN BHD 03-21665481 9am - 5pm.
I did not call up but, unsubscribed by using STOP ALL to 33112.
Hi pang yau (friends) anyone who is not satisfied pls call this number to, maybe he can help us.
Company Name: Ionnex Sdn Bhd
Contact Person: Mr. HY Sia
Street Address: Unit B-6-14,12 Jln Yap Kwan Seng
City: Kuala Lumpur
Country/Region: Malaysia
Zip: 50450
Telephone: 60-3-21665480
Fax: 60-3-21664850
I am also not satisfied.