Implementation of 7726

[#1]

Are there any plans to implement the industry standard 7726 SPAM number?
This is built in to the Google messages app to simplify reporting of these nuisance messages.

[#2]

After spending 30 minutes looking into why 7726 was not working on my phone, I arrived here.
Well, it turns out there is nothing wrong with my android phone setting, restricting premium rate SMS access or blocking the 7726 number is some way.

Your question has provided the answer! Thank you @ConcreteHippo 

Plusnet mobile are not supporting the SMS SPAM shortcode reporting number on 7726

So, for now the ISO will take complaints via their website Report spam texts and nuisance sales calls 

[#3]

The question is why? Why Plusnet? Why don't you support this feature? This is very important in the fight against increasing scams and fraudulent attempts.

[#4]

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@aginart wrote:

The question is why?

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Welcome to the forum. And @ConcreteHippo  🙂

For much the same reason that, for example, Plusnet's Call Protect doesn't have a web interface, which BT's does.

Budget ISP - budget features.

[#5]

Plusnet do support the industry standard PAC request shortcode of 65075, so it obviously is technically possible for them to support shortcodes on the network.

If they're worried about their customers getting scammed, they could easily allow a list of commonly used shortcodes for verified businesses, charities, banks, TV shows, radio stations, government departments, NHS etc, and block everything else.

They could also allow their customers to suggest new shortcodes that (once verified as being a legitimate service) are added to the list of approved shortcodes they support.

I do find it odd that they trust their customers to set an appropriate Smart Cap to prevent running up huge bills by calling premium rate telephone numbers but they don't trust their customers to do the same with text messages. Makes no sense.

Interestingly, an hour ago, Plusnet tweeted about a text scam currently doing the rounds, and suggested customers forward the text to 7726 - which doesn't work on Plusnet!!!

[#6]

I had two in the last couple of days, flagged as Spam but the spam report gets rejected as the number (7726) doesn't work.

Exceedingly poor, given that it is so simple to implement, you would imagine.

why stay out of the loop? Do Plusnet generate any revenue from spam senders?

[#7]

WHY WHY WHY?

Why are Plusnet not supporting the 7726 spam reporting service. It is a very important service and is currently being touted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ in on-line adverts and email advice. See here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/suspicious-email-actions

They say ALL providers support it. 

Maybe they should say all providers EXCEPT Plusnet.

Come on Plusnet sort your life out and offer a proper service.

[#8]

@JJO 

As far as I know Plusnet do not support any short codes, such is the price of using a budget service. As for all providers supporting it then it can be argued that the provider is EE, who do support these codes. Plusnet piggy back on this service with a cut down range of services to justify the reduced cost. Unfortunately you only get what you pay for.

[#9]

@Baldrick1 

Plusnet do support the industry standard PAC request shortcode of 65075, so they do support shortcodes on the network. They have just chosen no to support this one.

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you only get what you pay for.

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Yet the other "piggyback" providers, at the same price point support it.

This is becoming an essential National service in the fight against crime and works. It is shame that Plusnet don't care.

[#10]

Moderators Note

Topics merged.

[#11]

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@198kHz wrote:

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Budget ISP - budget features.

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Yes but other budget providers do offer this. Plusnet themselves have been mentioning the feature in some of their responses. Yet they have not enabled it. As far as I know they are the only provider not offering this important national crime fighting service. Incompetence, laziness, uninterested or cost cutting? Or a mixture of all four?

[#12]

I think to call it an important crime fighting tool is a gross over exaggeration.
If immediate action to shut down a website that was linked too happened than maybe.
It probably just gets added to a list as another statistic.
As caller id can be spoofed forwarding the number on achieves nothing.

[#13]

As far as I know, forwarding an SMS (unlike email) does not retain the original senders information, it is just like copying and pasting the original text of the message and sending it on to someone else. The new recipient won't know who originally sent the message.

So I'm not sure if forwarding to 7726 will do anything to track down the original sender (spam merchant) and get them blocked.

If the original spam text contains a link to a phishing site, you'd be better off reporting the page to Google's Safe Browsing team, who do seem to act quite quickly in blocking known phishing pages.

https://safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish/?hl=en

(Note that many phishing links are disguised by using a URL shortening service such as bit.ly or tinyurl and others) so it may be necessary to un-shorten the URL before reporting it, just don't enter any info into the phishing page if you happen to visit it).

[#14]

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@dvorak wrote:
It probably just gets added to a list as another statistic.
As caller id can be spoofed forwarding the number on achieves nothing.

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Three things:
1. You are wrong. It is a very useful tool if implemented properly. A number of mobile providers use the output of these reports to automate the removal in transit of these texts.
2. Even OFCOM recommend this https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/problems/tackling-nuisanc...
3. Caller ID is not in play here as others have pointed out

[#15]

Another example of official Government/GCHQ advice:

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/flubot-guidance-for-text-message-scam

"Forward the message to 7726, a free spam-reporting service provided by phone operators."

but not Plusnet.

And according to Which: "All of the UK’s mobile operators worked together to deploy a tool which collates all the information from the 7726 short code in real time."

but not Plusnet.