Definitely a regional problem. Also, why are you folks wholesale signing up for text message notifications? If you didn't, ask yourself how they got your number? If you use a site that actually requires a number, give them a Google Voice number.

However, here in the U.S. my iPhone immediately tosses these messages into spam. The same with Google Voice. I've not given out my actual phone number to anyone, and if someone requires it, I give them the GV number. If they don't accept that number they don't get my business (I think that has happened like three times in the past decade).

General rule of thumb: ignore random messages, calls, and emails. If you have doubts/worries, look up the official number for the company/service and call that.