What is a DCB_ASSOCIATION Text Message? How To Fix It?

Due to the popularity of smartphones, they have been targeted and used by criminals to carry out crimes and scams by deceiving users by sending malicious text messages, links, and other means. With this trend, users have become more vigilant when it comes to using their smartphones and are more careful when it comes to opening messages. Text messages from unknown senders are now being flagged as suspicious and should be avoided at all cost, messages such as DCB_ASSOCIATION text.

But what is a DCB_ASSOCIATION text exactly? Although it may sound intimidating, it’s actually a safe message that does not mean any harm to its receivers. DCB_ASSOCIATION text messages actually come from a legitimate source although it comes from a short four-digit number. The text messages may include the following texts as an example: DCB_ASSOCIATION: H9D910KLQQ4FRTGMY358RRF6D4.

The “DCB” in the DCB_ASSOCIATION mean “Direct Carrier Billing”, its actually just a receipt that is sent to the users after they do a transaction in the Google Play Store. In this case, the smartphone that was used for the transaction has used their mobile carrier as their associated payment method instead of their credit or debit card when purchasing items in the Play Store.

How Does This Work? When Do You Receive DCB Messages?

The DCB_ASSOCIATION works by sending a message to the carrier connected to the Google Play Store Account with a text which included “DCB_ASSOCIATION” plus its authentication ID once any purchases are made. This helps the carrier identify the transaction and it also lets the user know that there was a transaction that was made using their mobile carrier. Based on the authentication text, the carrier can authorize each transaction that is made.

In other words, if the user has enabled and selected their carrier as the payment method for transactions on the Google Play Store, then you should not worry about receiving the DCB_ASSOCIATION text. The only time you should worry is if you are receiving these text messages without you making any transactions on the Google Play Store.

What to Do If Your Google Play Store is Compromised? And How to Recover From The DCB_ASSOCIATION Issue?

If in any case your account has been compromised and you want to remove your carrier as the payment method, you can easily remove it through the smartphone itself. You may also get the amount charged on your carrier bill refunded as long as you have sufficient proof that the transaction was not made by yourself. Follow these steps on how you can remove your carrier from your Google Play Store payment method.

1. Open Google Play Store

2. Tap on the “3 Lines” located on the upper left corner of the screen to open the menu

3. Tap on “Payment Methods”

4. Tap on “More Payment Settings”

5. In the Google Payment Center, tap on the “Remove” button beside your Carrier or other payment methods and confirm the removal

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