Screenshots

READ THIS SERIES if you are a mobile user!

Teaser: 3xxxx short code and SMS scam
SMS Scam ( 1 ): Explain this, Maxis
SMS Scam ( 2 ): It's an organised white-collar crime
SMS Scam ( 3 ): Let the suffering fools speak
SMS Scam ( 4 ): The bad boys... Celcos? CPs? MCMC?
SMS Scam ( 5 ): The 'Copy & Paste' version of Maxis Preventive Gateway
SMS Scam ( 6 ): Let the suffering fools speak, sgain
SMS Scam ( 7 ): Transcript - Rosli Shukor's parting shot at MPG on May 14
SMS Scam ( 8 ): MPG API - Now you see (May 15), now you don't (May 16)!
SMS Scam ( 9 ): Explain these, please!
SMS Scam ( 10 ): Get the Celcos to go Dutch!
SMS SCam ( 11 ): Let the suffering fools speak, sgain and again
SMS Scam ( 12 ): Majority wants 'Cowboy CPs' removed, says industry survey
SMS Scam ( 13 ): Maxis short code 32355
SMS Scam ( 14 ): How big is the gravy train for multi-passengers?
SMS Scam ( 15 ): What's up, Doc?
SMS Scam ( 16 ): Civil Action: Report to Commercial Crime Division?

Maxis short code 32355 is so special that not one Malaysian law can touch it.

According to documents made available to Screenshots, the short code 32355 was brought up for discussion at the Task Force Meeting (No.2) which was held in MG03 of the MCMC complex in Cyberjaya on April 5 morning. [ Download PDF of the meeting minutes (excerpts) here. ]

At the meeting, short code 32355, which Maxis assigned to MacroKiosk was cited for two complaints relating to premium spam for ring tone service.

The Task Force was told by Maxis that there is proof of MO (Mobile Originating) in the transaction log, which means the customers had solicited for the service and billed accordingly. Maxis gets to keep about 50% of the revenue coming all subscription-based content delivery.

However, the Task Force decided that Maxis was to check whether the MO into short code 32355 had come from international gateway, which is often related to fake MOs that perpetrated SMS Spoofing.

That aside, the April 5 Task Force meeting deliberated on short code 32300 -- also assigned to MacroKiosk by Maxis – over allegations of received charged SMS on restaurant information.

According to the minutes of the meeting, Maxis informed the Task Force that the charged SMS was due to technical error during migration of database. There were over 4000 mobile customers affected, including Celcom and DiGi customers.

As such, DiGi and Celcom told the Task Force that they would investigate and verify MacroKiosk's reports on the customers affected. The final course of action will rest with MCMC, which, to date, is still pending.

Serial Offender?

Prior to that, according to an official announcement on the MCMC website, MacroKiosk had been faulted for triple non-compliance of the Guideline on the Provision of Mobile Content and Services, involving three other short codes, namely 33380, 36116 and 32400.

It was made known to Screenshots that the suspension of the short codes had also affected SMS alert services MacroKiosk provided to Parti KeADILan Rakyat and financial portal, OSK188.com.

The April 5 meeting was attended by MCMC, which was represented by Mohd Ali Hanafiah, Azizan Mohd Afandi, Shaharliza Mohamad Saman and Hazirah Md Nawi.

The Celcos were represented by Tan Li Ly (Maxis Communications Bhd), Foo Lee Kit (Maxis Communications Bhd) , Rohaizad Embong (Celcom (Malaysia) Berhad), and Azizi Mohamed Jennis (DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd).

Whereas, the content providers were represented by Rachel Lim (Astro), Leong Lian Jia (Gen-X Technology), KC Lee (e Century), Romuald Marappan (Zed Mobile Malaysia Sdn Bhd) and SB Lim (AKN Messaging Technologies Bhd).

The sole representative from the consumer protection body was Jafri Abdullah of Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum (CfM).

While Maxis has yet to revert to the Task Force with its findings on short code 32355 and related MOs triggered via international gateway -- an imperative of the April 5 meeting -- 19 days later, MacroKiosk was to have rampaged Screnshots reader Jonathan Wong with a total of 210 spams, spanning 17 days from 18:17:58 hr April 24 through 17:55:19hr May 13, 2007 via the faulted short code 32355.

The SMS rampage racked in a total of RM275.00 fof billings for Maxis, as reflected in the reader's itemised bill for May 2007.

Under the current External Content Provider Agreement, Maxis is entitled to take about 50% of this RM275.00 as its revenue that can be reflected in the financial accounts that ultimately gets reported to Bursa Malaysia.

Here are a series of screenshots of reader Johnathan Wong's Maxis bill for May 2007, with an accompanying email:

From: jonathan wong
To: jeffooi.screenshots@gmail.com
Date: May 25, 2007 12:16 PM
Subject: More than RM200 SMS scam from Macro Kiosk in this phone bill.

Hi Jeff,

Maybe this helps. Plz take this to AK personally, if you happen to see
him around. hahah!

Apa dah jadi, Mr MCMC?