Once the scourge of email providers and the Postal Service, spammers have infiltrated the last refuge of spam-free communication: cellphones. In the United States, consumers received roughly 4.5 billion spam texts last year, more than double the 2.2 billion received in 2009, according to Ferris Research, a market research firm that tracks spam. Spread over 250 million text message-enabled phones, the problem is not as commonplace as email spam. But it is a growing menace, with the potential for significant damage.

Comments

jzed

04/08/2012 01:42 PM

I rarely text so I have a basic cell phone plan. I got so many spam texts, each costing me money, that I had to remove the text feature from my service altogether. I did report text spammers, and I do report the numerous other voice & recorded spam calls. My number is on the Do Not Call List, but it doesn't do any good. There needs to be better detection and serious enforcement.