VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communication’s (MIC) inspectors have designed drastic measures to keep stricter control over the content service fee management in an effort to minimize spam and swindle messages.

CP provide depraved content to earn more money

According to MIC, there are some 400 content providers (CP) which provide entertainment message service on mobile networks and content services (ring tons, images, wallpaper, games and lottery results). The 400 companies sign contracts with tens or hundreds of satellite companies (subCP) on providing services for mutual benefits.

The inspectors have found out that many CPs and subCPs did themselves or hired others to deliver spam messages with Modem GSM/CDMA or USB 3G at the speed of 10,000 messages per hour.

The messages try to “rifle users’ pocket.” One might receive a message guiding the users to download games and install on mobile phones. However, during the installation, he would see 15,000 dong in his account deducted without any notice in advance.

Students, young users and people in remote areas usually receive the messages which say that users win big prizes at competitions or sales promotion campaigns, then ask users to send messages back to confirm the names of the prize winners. And of course, the users would have to pay big money when sending the messages as requested.

In many cases, the crimes assume the names of big telecom groups to send messages to users, telling them to call the operators at 1900xxxx. If the users follow the guidance, they would later receive other messages requesting to make calls or do something that would waste their money.

Especially, most of the CPs allow subCPs to re-lease their systems and prefix number bands so that subCPs can provide content services. In most of cases, CPs do not set up any regulations relating to the controlling over the content services. As a result, subCPs can easily deliver messages they want, including depraved and prohibited information.

MIC’s inspectors, in cooperation with VNCERT and the police (C50), took inspection tours to 50 CPs, then released the decisions to impose the fines worth 1624 billion dong, seized 761 million dong and requested three enterprises to stop providing services.

However, the inspectors have admitted that it’s very difficult to trace down the instigators, because most of the spam messages reportedly came from pre-paid mobile subscribers. Meanwhile, the information about pre-paid subscribers has not been managed by telecom groups.

CPs have to deliver spam to earn more money?

Analysts say that due to the number of “virtual subscribers” (the subscribers who register services but do not use services in reality), mobile network operators have to compete fiercely with others to lure customers by offering attractive preferences under sales promotion campaigns.

For example, users have to pay 250 dong for every message sent. However, under the sales promotion campaigns, they would have to pay 40 dong only. As such, delivering messages to mobile phone subscribers has become the cheapest and most effective way to advertise products.

Meanwhile, an inspector of MIC has pointed out that the current unreasonable profit sharing mechanism between CPs and mobile network operators has prompted CPs to deliver spam messages.

While mobile phone network operators only have to provide infrastructure and transmission services, CPs have to spend big money on producing contents. However, mobile network operators can pocket the majority of the profits, while CPs can earn the remaining modest profits.

“As a result, a lot of CPs have incurred loss and they try to deliver spam messages to offset the loss,” he said.

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