VietNamNet Bridge – Spam messages, a problem that once caused headaches for mobile phone users, have returned. However, state management agencies still do not know how to deal with the problem.

 

Spam messages returning with new tricks

 

Hoang Cong Thang, a business officer of Lan Anh Phone Company headquartered on Nguyen Trai street, said that everyday, he receives 3-5 spam messages. Even worse, these days, as the new lunar year approaches, the number of spam messages sent to his mobile phone has sharply increased.

 

“You have a music gift from a lover. In order to get the gift and know who sent the gift, please send a message to 6782”, a message reads. “Congratulations! You have luckily won a prize, an iPhone 4, in our

Quaythuongngaunhien lucky draw program. In order to know more details about the prize and the program, please send a message to 6782”.

 

According to Thang, spam messages have been booming for the last two months. Most of the spam messages aim to deceive mobile phone users. The messages aim to stir the curiosity of the users and if users send messages back to the senders to “know more details” as they are promised, they will be “trapped”, because they will lose 10-15,000 dong for each message.

 

The messages are very “attractive”, because they all inform that mobile phone users receive gifts or win big prizes. Therefore, it is understandable why many people have fallen into the traps, while others, who have learned their lesson from other people, feel tetchy because they have to spend time reading and erasing the messages. 

 

Thoi Bao Kinh Te Vietnam quoted a person who has been delivering spam messages as saying that now is his main “business season’, because the people’s demand for shopping increases at the year-end, therefore, the messages with “attractive” content will easily persuade people to send messages back.

 

Who to blame?

 

According to experts, the spam messages can come from two “channels”, from content providers (CP) and from normal subscribers. However, Vu Quoc Khanh, Director of the Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team VNCERT, affirmed that most of CPs have strictly followed the management policy after they were granted management codes, and that only normal subscribers can be the sources of spam messages.

 

VNCERT is the agency which grants management codes to service providers and it runs the 456 operator system which allows mobile phone users to forward the spam messages they receive to 456, free of charge.

 

However, while the agency also assists with tracking spam messages, it does not have the right to impose fines on violators.

 

According to Khanh, many mobile service providers have set up strict regulations to heavily punish spammers. However, the service providers only impose punishments when they receive complaints from clients, and they have ignored other cases. This means that on one hand, service providers try to show that they are following the current regulations, but on the other hand, they let violators “do what they want”.

 

According to Khanh, the problem is that service providers themselves also benefit from the spam messages. Therefore, they will not be foolish enough to stop spam messages and watch their income decrease.

 

Most of the spam messages are sourced from pre-paid simcards, the ones called “rubbish simcards”, because people only use once and then give them away. “There has been no proper solution to deal with the messages sent from normal subscribers,” Khanh admitted.

 

Source: Thoi bao Kinh te Vietnam