MANILA – Globe Telecom has launched its Stop Spam site in an effort to make it easier for its customers to report such annoying messages. The move is part of the telecommunication provider’s most aggressive initiative so far to address proliferation of spam and scam messages.
The telecommunications provider has made available on a Globe web page a channel through which its customers can report text spams and text scams alike. Customers may now go to http://www.globe.com.ph/stopspam and provide all the details required. Numbers that are reported to be source of text spams are first sent warnings and those that are persistent source of text spams are deactivated from the service.
“We are paving the easiest way possible for our customers to report text spams in line with the company’s efforts to eliminate unwanted and unsolicited promotional text messages that many of our customers complain about. We believe that partnering with our customers in this endeavor would render our campaign more effective,” Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto said.
Crisanto emphasized Globe will continue to pursue its commitment in going after companies that engage in marketing activities thru text spamming. “The recent filing of complaints against two companies that persistently make use of text spamming as a marketing tool is just an example of the extent we will go to address the issue,” she stressed.
As part of its intensified campaign to stop text spams, Globe recently filed before the National Telecommunications Commission complaints versus two companies whose agents keep on sending unsolicited promotional text messages to its customers.
In separate complaints, Globe specifically asked the regulatory body to order the two companies the payment of appropriate fines and penalties for sending annoying text spam to Globe subscribers. Globe also asked the NTC to permanently bar the two companies its agents and employees from sending spam texts to Globe customers.
Spam messages are usually sent by prepaid numbers as they are untraceable and are easily disposable. Spammers also don’t need to specific numbers to send spam messages to as they make use of USB GSM modems and they spam number ranges. Legitimate text blasts approved by the regulating agency are properly identified and do not carry 11-digit numbers.
Globe has also put in place other channels by which customers may report spam or scam messages: Customers who receive irritating text spam and text scam messages may also report via the Globe website through Talk2Globe Chat (http://chat.globe.com.ph); send a message through Globe Contact Form (http://globe.com.ph/talk2Globenow) and by tweeting @Talk2GLOBE on Twitter. Subscribers can put in the number, the exact message, and the time and date the text spam was received.
Aside from the Globe channels, customers can also keep themselves from getting text spams through their own devices. iOS users may block unwanted numbers by opening the message, clicking the Contact button at the right hand corner, clicking the “i” next to the number they wish to block. They can then scroll down to the bottom of the page where they will see the option “Block this caller” and then click to confirm. For Android users, subscribers may block spam through their gadget’s filtering settings: Go to Settings, press the Spam Message Settings, click “Add to Spam Numbers” and add spammers’ numbers. They may also choose to actively block by inputting commonly used spam phrases and adding it to the “Add to Spam Phrases” list.
