From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

I joined WhatsApp on 30 August (having overcome my concerns about
access to my Contacts). On 3 September I set up a group and on 4
September my brother added his wife to that group.

On 5 September I started receiving a sequence of calls from my
sister-in-law to my VOIP landline. I have now received 15 of these.
They are marked TTS (text to speech) with my sister-in-law's mobile
number. She denies making these calls. My brother has checked her
phone and says there is no evidence of any texts being sent to me. He
says my sister-in-law received a text from my landline inviting her to
join WhatsApp but my landline number is not in my WhatsApp account. My
theory is that her WhatsApp has somehow picked up my landline (VOIP)
number from her Contacts. No-one else seems to have encountered this.

I have now blocked her at the VOIP server.

Any ideas?
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From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Scott wrote:

Any ideas?

Rent a time machine, go back to 29th August and don't sign-up for WhatsApp?

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 08/09/2025 18:01, Scott wrote:

I joined WhatsApp on 30 August (having overcome my concerns about
access to my Contacts). On 3 September I set up a group and on 4
September my brother added his wife to that group.

On 5 September I started receiving a sequence of calls from my
sister-in-law to my VOIP landline. I have now received 15 of these.
They are marked TTS (text to speech) with my sister-in-law's mobile
number. She denies making these calls.

Is the Text to Speech system hung?

My brother has checked her

phone and says there is no evidence of any texts being sent to me. He
says my sister-in-law received a text from my landline inviting her to
join WhatsApp but my landline number is not in my WhatsApp account.
My
theory is that her WhatsApp has somehow picked up my landline (VOIP)
number from her Contacts. No-one else seems to have encountered this.

I doubt that is the case. SHE received the invite, so it can't be from
HER contacts. Can your mobile send texts with the VOIP number as the
"from" number?

I have now blocked her at the VOIP server.

good idea

Any ideas?

I assume you didn't answer the calls. If so there is a single text
looping in the text-to-speech system.

Dave
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Mon, 8 Sep 2025 18:51:23 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Scott wrote:

Any ideas?

Rent a time machine, go back to 29th August and don't sign-up for WhatsApp?

But why would WhatsApp pick my home number only out of an entire
contacts file then repeately send texts to what must be recognisable
as a landline number?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:22:26 +0100
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

On Mon, 8 Sep 2025 18:51:23 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Scott wrote:

Any ideas?

Rent a time machine, go back to 29th August and don't sign-up for
WhatsApp?

But why would WhatsApp pick my home number only out of an entire
contacts file then repeately send texts to what must be recognisable
as a landline number?

It's probably using AI to decide who to call.

--
Davey.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

In message <dln2ck1kouih6u1elqlisrp4gms8339v5e@4ax.com>, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> writes

On Mon, 8 Sep 2025 18:51:23 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Scott wrote:

Any ideas?

Rent a time machine, go back to 29th August and don't sign-up for WhatsApp?

But why would WhatsApp pick my home number only out of an entire
contacts file then repeately send texts to what must be recognisable
as a landline number?

Some land lines are capable of accepting text messages. Under BT, mine
did (OK, a text to voice "service" with no option to repeat). My VOIP
version did something similar until I disabled it as it was difficult to
work out who the sender was (caller id was 0300 something), making it difficult to work out who I was ignoring.

Adrian
--
To Reply :
replace "bulleid" with "adrian" - all mail to bulleid is rejected
Sorry for the rigmarole, If I want spam, I'll go to the shops
Every time someone says "I don't believe in trolls", another one dies.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Adrian wrote:

Some land lines are capable of accepting text messages.-a Under BT, mine
did (OK, a text to voice "service" with no option to repeat).

My BT line did receive SMS as text, once it "learned" I had SMS capable
DECT phones (Gigaset).

My VOIP
version did something similar until I disabled it as it was difficult to work out who the sender was (caller id was 0300 something), making it difficult to work out who I was ignoring.

voipfone say they can't deliver SMS.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:17:30 +0100
Adrian <bulleid@ku.gro.lioff> wrote:

In message <dln2ck1kouih6u1elqlisrp4gms8339v5e@4ax.com>, Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> writes

On Mon, 8 Sep 2025 18:51:23 +0100, Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>
wrote:

Scott wrote:

Any ideas?

Rent a time machine, go back to 29th August and don't sign-up for >>WhatsApp?

But why would WhatsApp pick my home number only out of an entire
contacts file then repeately send texts to what must be recognisable
as a landline number?

Some land lines are capable of accepting text messages. Under BT,
mine did (OK, a text to voice "service" with no option to repeat).
My VOIP version did something similar until I disabled it as it was
difficult to work out who the sender was (caller id was 0300
something), making it difficult to work out who I was ignoring.

Adrian

My DECT Panasonic system still receives SMS messages now I have gone
digital, but won't now send them as the Digital Voice protocol prevents
that in some way. They go somewhere.....but not to their intended
destination, if anywhere. They're probably just floating around out
there, joining Musk's Starlink satellites to over-populate the space
around the Earth.
--
Davey.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 10/09/2025 14:46, Andy Burns wrote:

Adrian wrote:

Some land lines are capable of accepting text messages.-a Under BT,
mine did (OK, a text to voice "service" with no option to repeat).

My BT line did receive SMS as text, once it "learned" I had SMS capable
DECT phones (Gigaset).

My VOIP version did something similar until I disabled it as it was
difficult to work out who the sender was (caller id was 0300
something), making it difficult to work out who I was ignoring.

voipfone say they can't deliver SMS.

Correct, so on a ported number, calls are routed by the numbers
original owner, usually BT.


So if someone tries to send a TEXT to a ported number, it goes to BT who
try and send it to the new number owner, in this case voipfone.co.uk. I
assume that voipfone then bounce the text. What I believe happens is
that as the call has been rejected BT send it to its SMS to speech
service. If its not answered BT will continually try to resend the text, several times an hour and for several days.

try dialing 0800 587 5252 and disabling SMS...

Dave
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:32:39 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:

On 10/09/2025 14:46, Andy Burns wrote:

Adrian wrote:

Some land lines are capable of accepting text messages.a Under BT,
mine did (OK, a text to voice "service" with no option to repeat).

My BT line did receive SMS as text, once it "learned" I had SMS capable
DECT phones (Gigaset).

My VOIP version did something similar until I disabled it as it was
difficult to work out who the sender was (caller id was 0300
something), making it difficult to work out who I was ignoring.

voipfone say they can't deliver SMS.

Correct, so on a ported number, calls are routed by the numbers
original owner, usually BT.

So if someone tries to send a TEXT to a ported number, it goes to BT who
try and send it to the new number owner, in this case voipfone.co.uk. I >assume that voipfone then bounce the text. What I believe happens is
that as the call has been rejected BT send it to its SMS to speech
service. If its not answered BT will continually try to resend the text, >several times an hour and for several days.

try dialing 0800 587 5252 and disabling SMS...

Thank you very much for this insight, which did not occur to any of
us. I have called the number and (I hope) disabled SMS.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Scott wrote:

David Wade wrote:

try dialing 0800 587 5252 and disabling SMS...

Thank you very much for this insight, which did not occur to any of
us. I have called the number and (I hope) disabled SMS.

What's the benefit? It not working is functionally equivalent to
disabling it ...

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Scott wrote:

David Wade wrote:

try dialing 0800 587 5252 and disabling SMS...

Thank you very much for this insight, which did not occur to any of
us. I have called the number and (I hope) disabled SMS.

What's the benefit? It not working is functionally equivalent to
disabling it ...

It avoids you getting barraged by calls from the BT SMS to voice gateway
when you fail to acknowledge them.

I can't remember whether it counts an answering machine as successful
delivery of the SMS, or whether you have to actively press buttons in their menu system to have the text played to you in order to count as a delivery.
But if it doesn't think it has delivered, it'll repeatedly call you until somebody answers, or after N tries it gives up.

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Theo wrote:

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Scott wrote:

David Wade wrote:

try dialing 0800 587 5252 and disabling SMS...

Thank you very much for this insight, which did not occur to any of
us. I have called the number and (I hope) disabled SMS.

What's the benefit? It not working is functionally equivalent to
disabling it ...

It avoids you getting barraged by calls from the BT SMS to voice gateway
when you fail to acknowledge them.

That wasn't happening, I migrated my plusnet from PSTN+FTTC to SoGEA in November, with the PSTN port to voipfone happening a few days later.

I can see that I sent an SMS from my mobile to the PSTN number in
January and as far as I remember it just went into a blackhole.

But testing it again today, the text2speech robot did call me, offering
to read it out.

I can't remember whether it counts an answering machine as successful delivery of the SMS, or whether you have to actively press buttons in their menu system to have the text played to you in order to count as a delivery.

it asked me to press 1 to listen

But if it doesn't think it has delivered, it'll repeatedly call you until somebody answers, or after N tries it gives up.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 11/09/2025 08:16, Andy Burns wrote:

Scott wrote:

David Wade wrote:

try dialing 0800 587 5252 and disabling SMS...

Thank you very much for this insight, which did not occur to any of
us. I have called the number and (I hope) disabled SMS.

What's the benefit?-a It not working is functionally equivalent to
disabling it ...

It is working. If you answer the call it reads you the text. However if
you don't answer and acknowledge, it calls you many times until you do.

You probably don't want this. I think its only happening because you
enabled the BT landline SMS when you had a DECT handset that could
receive them as text. Now this no longer works, you probably just want
to use your mobile for SMS messages, not the BT text to speech. If you
have a mobile why not use that to receive texts?

If you still wish to receive texts this way you can adjust the timing
and frequency using this number.

Dave


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

David Wade wrote:

It is working. If you answer the call it reads you the text. However if
you don't answer and acknowledge, it calls you many times until you do.

Something has changed in the months since I ported the PSTN number, it
does as you say now, but initially it did nothing when I sent a text.

You probably don't want this. I think its only happening because you
enabled the BT landline SMS when you had a DECT handset that could
receive them as text. Now this no longer works, you probably just want
to use your mobile for SMS messages, not the BT text to speech. If you
have a mobile why not use that to receive texts?

If you still wish to receive texts this way you can adjust the timing
and frequency using this number.

You're right it's a faff, and I don't need to use text on the VoIP
number, will probably disable as I don't want it hassling me if someone
sends text to wrong number.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2