Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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It seems like kids now text more than they talk. But now these SMS and MMS messages can be used to bully in a big way. It's called text bombing -- sending dozens or even hundreds of texts to a target -- overloading their phone.
It can be done in several ways -- spreading the phone number of the target via social media and asking people to send annoying or insulting texts. And there are also sites specifically developed to help people text bomb. Clam TXT features an app that makes it easy.
Once downloaded you just need to type in the number and the message -- and the app will send text after text after text. And the site gives users a dummy phone number -- so the target never knows who is actually sending the texts.
Some of the messages being sent? "I know what you did. I saw you."
"How does it feel to be something you're not little man."
"Kill yourself."
And the site is popular -- it claims that more than six million texts have already been sent out. And that's not the only app -- a search of "sms bomber" or "text bomber" on you tube brings up dozens of tutorials -- and links for downloads.
The impact isn't just on a target's phone or morale either -- it can be on the wallet. Some text bombs are specifically designed to send a target over their messaging or data limit -- and we all know how huge the fees can get when that happens.
Luckily, there are ways to stop it. For just under two bucks you can download Text bomb defender -- an app that blocks any messages transmitted more than once. It can also block messages from unknown numbers -- and will alert you when it is blocking suspected text bombs. That's for Android.
For Apple devices there is number cop -- which will block all texts and phone calls from "spam" numbers. It will also let you look up the possible people associated with the numbers -- and report numbers as spam. The app is three dollars -- which doesn't seem like much when it comes from blocking bullies.
