Received a text message from 07909 090 487?

A new phone number to add to the ‘avoid and lodge a complaint’ list: +44 7909 090 487.

Why? Because the SMS I received:

1. Was unsolicited, breaking the rules against unsolicited texts, and
2. Didn’t say who it was from – even when asked – which also runs into trouble with the marketing rules for text messages

So even if by chance the message about compensation being available seems to apply to you: don’t reply.

The standard trick in the business is to send the same fake information to large numbers of people in the hope that by chance it is accurate to a few of them, and so to those few looks like a genuine message. It looks like this is what is happening with texts from this number – and certainly the two above points are reason enough to steer clear of having anything to do with the firm behind the SMS I was sent.

Steer clear, except for one thing. It’s always a good more to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner here. The regulator can move a little slowly, but movement happens when there are lots of complaints. Moreover, if you fill in an online complaint, the system also tells you how to report the spam message to your mobile network – a useful belt and braces.