The spam is definitely a problem for all of us because it currently exists in numerous flavors: email, website, splogs (blog spamming) and even SMS spam. This last version of the spam is probably the most annoying because the phone owners are completely vulnerable without any solution to block unwanted messages. In the past, several mobile operators tried to block this illegal activity but it seems like more and more companies are attracted to advertise their products using SMS spamming.

An interesting case concerns Verizon Wireless that filed a lawsuit against Specialized Programming and Marketing, a company that sent almost 100.000 SMS messages to invite phone owners to a competition, offering the chance to win a trip to the Bahamas. The mobile network provider won the lawsuit and required the spammer to pay $200.000 in damages.

"Verizon Wireless filed a suit against Specialized Programming and Marketing and its owner, Charles Henderson, who sent the spam messages on behalf of Passport Holidays. In sending the unsolicited text messages to cell phones, Henderson and his company violated the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and are required to pay damages in excess of $200,000. Passport Holidays was required to pay $10,000 in damages to Verizon Wireless in a separate judgment last year. Charles Henderson, his company Specialized Programming and Marketing, and Passport Holidays are now prohibited from sending text message spam to Verizon Wireless customers," security company Sophos reported.

As you might know, SMS spamming is one of the most efficient ways for sending unwanted messages because the handheld owners are very vulnerable as long as no powerful solution is available to protect the mobile devices. The only solution to block all the spam messages concerns the mobile operator that is the only one able to stop them by banning the sender's address.