To deactivate paid services on your cell phone you will have to call the customer service of the telephone operator and ask for SMS Barring
It happens that you receive SMS messages that warn you about the activation of premium subscriptions on your cell phone without you having requested anything. The cost of subscription services is really exorbitant (5 euros per week or 5 euros per SMS) and soon we find ourselves with a few cents on the smartphone.
It is not about online scams, because even if we do not realize it, we are the ones who have activated the paid services by accidentally pressing on some advertising banner or responding to online surveys. In a few minutes we find ourselves with the premium service activated and with the obligation to pay 5 euros for the message received on the smartphone. Very often these are services that send the horoscope, allow you to download wallpapers, ringtones, video games or images. If you don't manage to block the unsolicited subscription on your cell phone, you'll end up with no credit.
How to deactivate subscription services on your smartphone
There are two different ways to deactivate premium services activated without your knowledge. The first is much simpler, but does not always work, and the second is a little longer and more complicated, but the result is certain.
In some cases, in the first SMS that is sent to us, at the end of the message you are offered the possibility to deactivate the subscription service by sending an SMS with the words "STOP". Unfortunately, this mode does not always work and even if we send the message, the SMS with images, wallpapers and video games continue to arrive.
To be sure of deactivating unsolicited paid services on your cell phone, you need to contact the customer service of your telephone operator and ask for SMS Barring, a system that blocks SMS coming from premium services. The first step is to contact customer service and talk to an operator. If you are lucky, the call center person will know how to activate Barring SMS, if not, you will have to call back a second time. Some phone companies also offer the ability to block paid services directly through their online site. If the SMS Barring activation is successful, all subscription services will be blocked on your smartphone. The only drawback is that SMS sent by your bank when you make withdrawals will also be blocked.
What to do to guard against paid services
To avoid falling victim to premium services you can take precautions. When surfing the Internet, you should never click on banner ads that pretend to offer services for free: most of them are disguised scams. Also, if you constantly monitor your credit you will notice if any paid service has been activated.