How to know if your cell phone is being monitored: the signs to take into consideration

You don’t have to be a businessman or a high-level politician for someone to do this our cell phone intervenes. It’s that the cyber criminals It’s not just cell phones that intervene to listen to conversations or steal photos. They can also be taken for steal money by consuming data or pay for a service we never contracted for, something we are all exposed to.

There is signs, barely perceptible which we do not take into account due to the logic of life which unfolds day after day at great speed, which does not allow us to notice the details. Some data that gives a clue that the cell phone might have been taken by someone else could be:

Excessive data consumption

If your cell phone is intercepted, the person who did it must send the information he deems important from your device. This includes locations, passwords, emails, files, and even call tracking.

Movements without reason

It may also happen that the GPS or Internet function (both Wi-Fi and mobile data) turns on or off on its own and pop-ups open showing advertisements or unknown applications without the user’s permission,” he explains to Clarion Mario Micucci, security specialist at ESET Latin America.

Excessive battery consumption

Using spy applications, updating them, generating and sending reports all day is something that consumes energy because it works in the background, that is, secretly. High consumption without having used the mobile phone in a day is a good indicator, as is the device heating up for no reason.

Browser changes

“The browser home page changes unexpectedly. Even if new and/or unidentifiable icons appear on the taskbar,” he explains Clarion Luis Corrons, digital security expert at Avast.

Calls to unknown numbers

It may be helpful to check the incoming and outgoing call details on your device and check for unknown numbers. There are ways to “duplicate” your telephone number and simply use the service, obviously with a charge on your bill.

Apps never installed

There are applications used to spy and acquire information entered into sites or apps, such as usernames and passwords. But fortunately it is almost impossible to hide an application on a mobile phone. You need to review the list of installed applications and delete any that are not recognized. Here you must always be careful not to delete anything that was installed “by default” on the mobile phone.

noise on the line

Although less massive, call tracking is a reality. In these cases the safest thing is to be registered. You may hear “noises” such as interference or even crossed calls.

Another way to know if your cell phone has been intercepted, and if so eliminate any possibility, is through some codes that you mark directly as a call and tell you the status on the screen, they work for both Android and iPhone:

##002#. Dialing this code eliminates all call forwarding.

*#62#. This code will tell you which number calls are redirected to when your cell phone is turned off or out of area. A number for your company may appear, which is normal.

*#twentyone#. Unlike the previous one, this code also tells you verbatim if any service is diverted.

Tips to avoid falling into the trap

• Password on the home screen. Apps installed without permission need a password to remain active if they attempt to change security settings on your device.

• Only install apps from the official app store. It could be that this app is actually a virus in disguise and you are giving it access to your phone.

• Install an antivirus. There are some free ones.

• distrust. “Do not open links received in text messages from unknown numbers and avoid chatting with strangers in messaging applications,” adds Luis Corrons.

• Keep your operating system updated. Your cell phone, always in your pocket. Some types of interventions can only be carried out by physically taking the mobile phone for a few minutes. Don’t leave him alone for too long.

• Always on guard. “It is important to be careful and think twice before acting, social engineering today is the discipline par excellence for implementing techniques that allow attackers to take possession of our data and in this case our telephone lines. No official body will ask for sensitive information to carry out various actions, in this sense it is important not to reveal sensitive information (passwords, credit cards, confirmation codes and information with similar characteristics) through any means of communication” explains Micucci.

• And he concludes: “Before replying to a message, it is important to validate the origin and exclude that it is an individual impersonating another, and it is also important to think twice before clicking on a link or downloading files.”