WARNING -- Check your 'call log'

[left-of-center2012]

If you have a ‘smart phone’ that can send & receive texts in addition to phone calls, you should have a ‘call log’.

If you go to the web page of your ‘carrier’ (T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, etc) and look at your account, there should be accessible to you a list showing every phone call and text you made or received.

I had lost a friend’s phone number, but remembering he had called me a couple weeks ago, I looked on my ‘call log’ and found it.

But, as I am one who rarely sends or receives texts, I was shocked to see 65 texts were on my ‘call log’ in the past month, to and from area code 222. (I myself may get six texts a month, related to my pharmacy or doctors’ offices)
Looking back further, it appears a couple hundred texts to and from area code 222 and other area codes are on my log in the past year.

I googled the area code 222, and web pages listing area codes either do not have 222 on it or has it with a notation “Not yet assigned”.

My concern is, not knowing who is doing this and that one area code (222) doesn’t even exist, it is probably something illegal. Drugs, porn, etc? I called my ‘carrier’ (Consumer Cellular) and the lady told me the calls are probably computer generated, finding a number at random (mine, in this case) to use as cover for their texts.

She advised me to create an entry in my phone’s contacts, label it “SPAM TEXTS” and put these phone numbers on it. She said that ‘should’ prevent them showing up on my ‘call log’. I also blocked the numbers, although my phone would not block area code 222, saying it is invalid.

So, take a minute to look at your carrier’s call log and see if something looks out-of-place.

[Brother Buzz]

1. 222 is a spoofed overseas one ring robocall

It's not mere spam, it's a nefarious scam call. Some people says, because the call originates overseas, robocall blocking laws don't apply.

[left-of-center2012]

2. In my case it's texts being sent and received

But not by me.

[Brother Buzz]

3. This reformed Luddite doesn't understand texting

Are you saying your phone logs say YOU sent texts to the number? That is some sophisticated shit going on, perhaps you should look at your bill to see if there are some mysterious fees incurred on the dates of the texts.

[defacto7]

4. Wow.. a couple of tech questions...

I'm assuming these log entries are only showing on the web page for your account, not in your phone's log. I'm also assuming the web page shows only the number and type not the text itself. From what I understand, putting numbers in a contact list and naming it something will only inform your local phone that you have a text from one of those numbers if you can't block them. IF the words in the contact name "SPAM TEXTS" is a coded filter that sends a coded message to the provider that these are spam texts and to deal with them accordingly then it just might work! But indidvidual phones don't have any coded bots that inform the provider that I know of ??. Is there a separate contact list on the website that might trigger a filter? Just digging.

[left-of-center2012]

5. I do not know

[left-of-center2012]

8. "these log entries are only showing on the web page for your account, not in your phone's log"

Correct

"not the text itself"

also correct

[coolcat_riley]

6. thanks

Thanks for the tips on the call log, left-of-center2012. I never check it through my carrier's account, though. About the spam texts, I believe they spoof their numbers so that those 222 area code numbers that appear on your call log. I have read reports about them at complaint boards like http://whycall.me since maybe more than 3 years ago. For now, do you still get those texts, and does the entry labeling tips above really works?

[left-of-center2012]

7. "do you still get those texts"

I never actually receive the texts. They just show up as sent or received on my call log.
Guess they are using my # to cover theirs.