Getting someone else's text messages on my gateway!?

  • 23 June 2023
  • 8 replies
  • 884 views
HoosierDaddy
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I accidentally pushed the wrong button on my gateway and discovered a bunch of text messages. 

They are apparently to someone named Arron who is a grandpa, recently had a roof replaced, is a part-time bartender, poker player, apparently trying to sell a truck and has some dental issues. And more...

I’ve had the gateway for 6 months and these texts are time stamped March thru the present. 

I reported to T-Mobile and asked why a gateway receives texts at all. T-Mobile wasn’t concerned that I was receiving the texts but said gateways receive texts strictly so T-Mobile can communicate to internet customers who don’t have a phone plan. Said the texts were probably related to number reuse, but that didn’t really make sense.

As an experiment, I texted a message to the phone number associated with my gateway on my bill but that text didn’t make it to the gateway, but didn’t really think it would.

I know I would be pretty upset if my texts were also going to some random T-Mobile home internet gateway.

This isn’t the only recent weirdness related to this service, but will post that separately.

8 replies

gramps28
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Userlevel 7
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The gateway is assigned a phone number and you're more than likely receiving the person who had the number before you.

HoosierDaddy
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The gateway is assigned a phone number and you're more than likely receiving the person who had the number before you.

Except for the HAD BEFORE part. I am receiving texts NOW for someone who no longer has that number (or never did), and while I can just see one end of conversations, it's clear the texts are getting to grandpa because people are responding to him responding back to them. 

But the issue/question isn’t how it’s happening but rather that something T-Mobile is doing results in a phone customer's private text messages being transmitted to a random 3rd party in addition to going to them.

If its happening to grandpa Arron, it could be happening to you or me.

T-Mobile’s only response to my call was to offer to change the number of my gateway.

Would not want that. I’m just starting to bond with the family. Am sad I didn’t see the messages about his nephew’s graduation in time to attend. LoL [/sarcasm]

gramps28
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Userlevel 7
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If someone is still texting that number it's still going to go to the router since it's assigned that number. When I got assigned my phone number I was getting all kinds of calls and text for the old user but luckily I was able to respond to them the they stopped.

You can try contacting Tmobile support to see if there's a way to block them.

HoosierDaddy
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If someone is still texting that number it's still going to go to the router since it's assigned that number. When I got assigned my phone number I was getting all kinds of calls and text for the old user but luckily I was able to respond to them the they stopped.

You can try contacting Tmobile support to see if there's a way to block them.

I have no interest in stopping them since I will never receive any texts for me on my gateway and so have no reason to ever look at them (other than for a free private reality show).  As I said, it is not good for grandpa Arron’s for his texts to be sent simultaneously to multiple devices (his actual phone, my gateway and who knows what other devices).

And it's bad for anyone else who T-Mobile is sharing their texts with strangers. No way to know if its happening to you. I’ll give you 1,000 to 1 odds Grandpa Arron doesn’t know I’m getting his texts.

The key would seem to be why/how are texts sent to one number get sent to multiple devices of multiple people. Since the earliest text was in March and I had this gateway for many months before that, if in fact Grandpa Arron really does have the same phone number as my gateway (your speculation and somewhat refuted by texts I send to that number not showing up on my gateway), T-Mobile issued him that number despite knowing it was already assigned to my gateway.

O

This happened to me as well. It even showed personal identifying information because it was a text from a clinic telling the person when and where their medical appointment was. Had their first and last name. There were a few more personal messages sent to them and there were texts from other people and to other people as well.

HoosierDaddy
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This happened to me as well. It even showed personal identifying information because it was a text from a clinic telling the person when and where their medical appointment was. Had their first and last name. There were a few more personal messages sent to them and there were texts from other people and to other people as well.

Yeah. This is potentially a big exposure or blackeye for T-Mobile since they say they have no idea why or how often this happens and don’t want to know. The Ostrich defense often fails..  

A

I'm having the same issue. But, my texts on my gateway are about a relationship and it's pretty personal. 

I can't share it in here sorry. 

J

I am also getting messages directed to a Doctor about reviewing scans from a medical clinic. I’m glad they are following HIPPA and not sharing any vital details, but I know the doctor’s last name.

 

i agree that someone could be sharing sensitive information and not knowing the hands it is falling into.

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