Messaging thread uses invalid 12 digit phone number

[ATMT]

Using an S3. This happened after restoring backup SMS conversation to a new S3. One of my contacts has had digits added to the number in the SMS thread.

So the true contact number is +972544.....
At the top of the SMS thread it shows +97272544....

The phone is treating these as the same contact. If I respond to a message within the thread then it won't get delivered (since the longer number is incorrect). If I start a new message with the correct number then this message gets delivered but is added to the thread of the long number. So the workaround is to always create a new message - but this is a real pain.

I have tried removing the contact, creating 2 separate contacts. Did not help.

I do not want to delete the thread.

 

[ATMT]

OK - I think I fixed it (had the idea as I pushed send)...

I looked at the 1st messages in the thread - long tap then "view message details". I deleted 2 messages that had the long number in them (not sure how it happened). Then I backed up SMS only (using MyBackup), deleted all SMS threads, restored SMS (from MyBackup), restarted phone. Now only the correct contact is showing.

Hope it's fixed for good.