Phone text message scam

[bibblebub]

A month ago on my ordinary pay-as-you-go mobile I received a text message and decided to have a quick look at it (usually if it's a number I don't recognise I just delete them). That peek resulted in all the credit being stolen within a few minutes; now I have a way of looking at those messages without opening them on the phone.

This episode prompted me to get a monthly contract smartphone with a different number but I'm wondering whether similar problems can arise with this or does the Android OS make this impossible? There's no credit to be stolen but could someone use a message to hook up to the phone and use up all my free phone minutes?

Thanks in advance.

[bibblebub]

Clearly I am the invisible man and this is my story...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWiaeMvYuBc

[maggiebee]

Aah so sorry BB - I'll speak to you. Can't answer your question though, I'm a total technophobe

[Psybbo]

Thank you bibblebub, I can't help but I'll not open any texts from unknown numbers, thanks to your warning

[Davethedog]

I would suggest, that if it can be done on one phone it can be done on another. However in my very limited knowledge of these things before the fraud can be perpetrated you have to respond. Just opening it doesn't normaly result in the fraud.

[bibblebub]

Thanks for the replies and I've had no problems with the smartphone so far. I definitely didn't reply to that text message but the phone logs showed that the credit all disappeared within 5 minutes of looking at it - maybe a coincidence but that seems unlikely since I hadn't lost any credit before (or since).