WARNING -- Check your 'call log'

[left-of-center2012]

If you have a ‘smart phone’ that can send & receive texts in addition to phone calls, you should have a ‘call log’.
If you go to the webpage of your ‘carrier’ (T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, etc) and look at your account, there should be accesible to you a list showing every phone call and text you made or received.

I had lost a friend’s phone number, but remembering he had called me a couple weeks ago, I looked on my ‘call log’ and found it.

But, as I am one who rarely sends or receives texts, I was shocked to see 65 texts were on my ‘call log’ in the past month, to and from area code 222. (I myself may get six texts a month, related to my pharmacy or doctors’ offices)
Looking back further, it appears a couple hundred texts to and from area code 222 and other area codes are on my log in the past year.

I googled the area code 222 and web pages listing area codes either do not have 222 on it or has it with a notation “Not yet assigned”. I did see one warning that area code 222 may be overseas, and involved in scams.

My concern is, not knowing who is doing this and that one area code (222) doesn’t even exist, it is probably something illegal. Drugs, porn, etc? I called my ‘carrier’ (Consumer Cellular) and the lady told me the calls are probably computer generated, finding a number at random (mine, in this case) to use as cover for their texts.

She advised me to create an entry in my phone’s ‘contacts’, label it “SPAM TEXTS” and put these phone numbers on it. She said that ‘should’ prevent them showing up on my ‘call log’

So, take a minute to look at your carrier’s call log and see if something looks out-of-place.

[patricia92243]

1. Would the Spam Text be better than just blocking the number?

[left-of-center2012]

3. I did both

She said labeling it as 'spam' should keep it off my call log.

I hope blocking it may keep them from using my number.

[SeattleVet]

2. 222 is in Mauritania

Here's an article from about a year ago about why you should always ignore these calls (or, if you can, block the entire 222 area from your phone service).

https://moneytalk1010.com/2019/05/06/why-you-should-ignore-calls-from-area-code-222/

[left-of-center2012]

4. thanks

I have now blocked it.

[kimbutgar]

5. I block numbers I don't know on my landline and cell

[customerserviceguy]

6. I've blocked texting on my phone

Anything I need to say to someone else, or they need to say to me can be done in a phone call. Or an email, if its important to have it "in writing".

[lastlib]

7. I not only look at it, I download it monthly to a database I made.

Phone company only stores them for one billing cycle at a time--after that billing cycle ends, it's virtually impossible to get them. So at the end of the billing cycle, I download 'em, and store them in my database. With that, I can find any phone call or text message I've had since 2011. They can be sorted/analyzed by area code, exchange, number, date or call type. It's pretty handy and helpful.