First it was phishing, now 'smishing' is a growing problem

[Corrine]

First it was phishing, now 'smishing' is a growing problem

Text mail spam is especially annoying, since you pay for that message unless you have an unlimited plan. It's also a growing problem. The New York Times reports that cell phone users in the U.S. received an estimated 4.5 billion spam texts last year. That's more than double the 2.2 billion text spam messages received in 2009.

And the volume of text spam will only increase as more of us get smart phones.

I started getting smishes recently. I don't have a smart phone and text messages are not included in my plan. Verizon has "Verizon Safeguards" but the free version is limited:

You can block calls and message from up to 5 phone numbers at no charge.

Expiration. Blocks expire after 90 days. Be sure to reapply the block if you wish to continue the service restriction. To permanently block numbers, subscribe to Usage Controls*.

Limitations. You cannot block numbers within your account or non-10 digit numbers such as 911, 411 or #MIN (checks minutes used).

Unblocking. To unblock a number, highlight and delete the number, then click "Submit".

Apparently you can report smish attempts to "7726" (spam) which was set up by the wireless industry.

In the U.S., complaints can be filed with the Internet Crime Prevent Center, Federal Trade Commission and the State Attorney General’s office.