Italy’s battle begins against apps that allow users to earn money with unused text messages in their tariff plan. And which are then used by various companies to send spam advertisements and even scam sms.
The Communications Authority and the telephone operators have launched the first action plan to block these apps, starting with SimCash.io, Coinbox, SmsCashback, Cash4Sms, as stated in a public notice from the Authority (Agcom) dated June 30th.
In short, the operators are blocking access, on their networks, to those resources that download the app (web addresses and IP addresses).
How these apps work
As you know, text messages are less and less used, but they are still present in many packages by the hundreds or even infinite. These apps tell users: sell us your text messages you don’t use and we give you money in return. How many? “There is a great variability of offers, according to our calculations it can be as high as 50 euros”, the Authority explained to ItalianTech. Some of the sites that Agcom said to block are still accessible, according to our reading, they promise a few tens of euros for a sim connected to the app or 0.75 cents for an Italian text message.
“These companies then resell the text messages to other subjects, who use them to make spam messages or worse, as scams”, they add from Agcom.
SMS that pretend to be a bank and ask you to click on a link, which then downloads a virus or leads to a page that steals personal information.
“These apps are managed by subjects residing abroad and therefore not sanctionable by Italy – explain by Agcom. Their activity is illegal because it can only be carried out by authorized telecommunications operators. They also carry out it by violating various rules, including the obligation to make the sender of the sms identifiable “.
With a hidden sender, this makes it easier to perpetrate scams.
Safety
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The risks for users
These apps ensure that everything is legal, as we read on the sites. “But the users who use them violate the operator’s contract and therefore risk the definitive blocking of the sim. In addition to being complicit in scams ”, they explain from the Authority. According to Agcom estimates, referring to ItalianTech, there are “tens of thousands” of Italian users who use these apps, for a turnover of a few million euros.
The operators have already blocked some user contracts.
Smishing
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The story isn’t over: the next steps
Agcom therefore had the apps removed from the Google and Apple app stores and the operators to prevent access to sites from which direct download (of the .apk file) is possible.
A measure possible thanks to the rules of the new electronic communication code, which entered into force on 24 December 2021.
“It doesn’t stop there: these apps keep changing sites and IP addresses to stay accessible. We will therefore continue to make blocks of these and other apps. At the same time we are working with other European authorities to extend the measure to the whole of Europe and improve collaboration with Google, whose DNS still allows you to bypass the blocks ”, the Authority added.