-
Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
A client is going through a divorce and she is absolutely convinced her ex is hacking her phone and email.
Frankly I can't believe what she is accusing him of. Any techies - I know we have some here - I'd appreciate your thoughts.
First, she think he has cloned her cell phone. She thinks he is able to remotely delete her text messages with his 'clone' phone. I really don't think this is possible, even if he had cloned the phone, he can't erase her messages.
Second, she claims that when she sends out a email from her Yahoo account, it appears as sent... but somehow a few hours later the ex can move those sent messages to the Outbox, so they don't look like they were sent. On other occasions, she thinks he somehow can get into her email sent items, and change the words of the emails she has already sent.
I just cannot wrap my head around how he is able to do these things. She claims his company has an IT department and they are helping the ex.
Any thoughts?
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
http://www.flexispy.com/spyphone-features-compare.htm WIth stuff like this around it is absolutely possible. I read this article about these programs and it can go as far as using the SD card to record your phone calls. Technology is scary because it can always be hacked :p
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
My e-mail was hacked by a guy who was jealous of the model for the website we started (this was long before we started it but whatever). He got into my e-mail and sent numerous copies of the same mail to her--why I don't know, maybe to make me look weird? then he started deleting all the e-mails I had already sent her from my 'Sent' folder. Then I saw what he was doing and changed my password.
I suspect it is possible to make a clone phone and delete texts, with a sufficient tech background. But I could be wrong. I am not a tech kind of guy. But some of them can do some pretty weird and scary stuff.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
That sounds wild... I mean, I try to keep up with stuff like this, know what is and isnt possible etc, and I can say I have not heard of any of these things being done or possible to do. I mean, like with the phone clone, I can say Ive heard of something to do with that, (not enough to say its 100% possible or not, but just heard of it) but even then, the clone phone was able to get all the same texts/calls the original phone was getting, but it could not actually go into the original phone and make changes to it. Basically, the info coming in to the original phone was being duplicated to the clone.
As for the email....I just dont see how that is possible, esp if she is directly using Yahoo and not something like Microsoft Office to check her email. Mail is sent immediately, and already sent messages cannot be edited...once done its done.
I hate to say she sounds paranoid, cause theres nothing worse than wierd/crazy thing happening, and everyone just thinks you are being paranoid.
But...she sounds paranoid :(
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
When people say someone hacked them what they actually mean is "he figured out my incredibly easy password" or "i forgot to logoff and he accessed it", that lady is just batshit crazy though none of those things are possible.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Not sure about the cloning of phones but the solution is very simple.
Its a yahoo email. Tell her to make another one. (even switch over to gmail or hotmail) I mean seriously now what kind of work is she in that she needs one anyway? I know everyone now a days feels like they NEED an email/text/facebook to live but seriously you dont. People managed before them. But if she doesnt want to 'disconnect' then you can check the thread in camming connection about privacy and online safety (it has a lot of tips about keeping yourself safe)
basically shed have to make a new account with a strong password. Use fake info for the reset questions because anyone that knows her (like and ex) would know the 'real' answers and be able to answer them correctly to reset it and access the account.
If she thinks her phone is cloned, shed have to obtain a new phone and always keep it in her possession so that no one would be able to attach any type of cloning device to it with out her knowledge. (the same would apply to her laptop) If she has a desktop at home she would have to look into different programs that search for spyware/ hidden keylogger programs installed.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
For those who haven't heard of it or insist this woman "must" be crazy: http://voices.yahoo.com/cell-phone-s...re-414257.html
Nationwide, 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually and for several Washington state families it's an experience that's come home in a bizarre way.
As reported in The News Tribune three families, the Kuykendalls, the Prices, and the McKays have been stalked by cyber stalkers who are using the victims' own cell phones to track their every move. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, the police can't seem to catch the perpetrators and therefore seem inclined to believe that the families themselves are creating an elaborate hoax. There is plenty of proof, however, to show that the stalking is very real and experts say it's not that hard to pull off. (snip)
Here's how to clone a phone: http://www.ehow.com/how_5946251_clon...-sim-card.html
Here's a particularly high profile cases of phone hacking: http://www.thestreet.com/story/11248...hone-hack.html
http://www.people.com/people/article...509728,00.html
Nothing outlandish at all about her concerns.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
But like I said Optimist...with phone cloning, or even hacking, the most Ive ever seen someone be able to do is get duplicate info from the phone ie gather information. Even from those links you give, thats as far as it goes, nothing about being able to actually take control over the phone and delete information.
I also think that saying someone can intercept an email from being sent is dubious as well, unless like I said she is sending the emails through microsoft office or thunderbird etc where messages are held until updated to go through...as opposed to directly through yahoo where the emails are sent immediately. Even with email hacking, they can read and send out messages, but Ive never heard of someone being able to unsend a sent message, or rewrite a message that has already been sent.
The things she is claiming hes doing, are things that Ive never heard of being done, and even from a logical standpoint dont seem possible.
I agree though with the sentiment that if wonky things are happening with her phone and email, then she needs to change the pw on her email account and only use yahoo directly, not with a 3rd party mail system, and get a new phone and phone number.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Thanks everyone. I read all your replies. Twice. I'm trying to keep an open mind.
She thinks Yahoo can give her the IP addresses of computers that accessed her account. I think it sounds like a fishing expedition. And I doubt anyone at Yahoo cares or will even reply to her.
At that same time, she is paying me to listen to these theories, so it would be very strange if she was deliberately making this up.
I really think it is far more likely that one of her kids (12, 16, 17 years old) is doing Dad a favor and erasing things from her phone. As for sent emails being changed, I just don't see a way for that to happen. Unless it's a simple matter of someone knowing the password, going into the account, deleting what she has sent, and composing new emails which she then thinks are the originals being changed.
She says her computer has been looked at by an IT guy and they can't find any spyware.
I know it's not fair to just dismiss her as crazy but I can't imagine standing up in court and making these allegations about her ex. It's just so far fetched.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
annabellz
Not sure about the cloning of phones but the solution is very simple.
Its a yahoo email. Tell her to make another one. (even switch over to gmail or hotmail) I mean seriously now what kind of work is she in that she needs one anyway? I know everyone now a days feels like they NEED an email/text/facebook to live but seriously you dont. People managed before them. But if she doesnt want to 'disconnect' then you can check the thread in camming connection about privacy and online safety (it has a lot of tips about keeping yourself safe)
basically shed have to make a new account with a strong password. Use fake info for the reset questions because anyone that knows her (like and ex) would know the 'real' answers and be able to answer them correctly to reset it and access the account.
If she thinks her phone is cloned, shed have to obtain a new phone and always keep it in her possession so that no one would be able to attach any type of cloning device to it with out her knowledge. (the same would apply to her laptop) If she has a desktop at home she would have to look into different programs that search for spyware/ hidden keylogger programs installed.
I was going to answer with something similar to this, ie get a new phone and e-mail if she's worrried. But this is more informative.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
That's an interesting theory, and would so suck if true that's her kids are helping the dad screw with her like that. I'm going to add put a lock on her phone and computer to the list of advice.
Btw I don't use yahoo mail, so I don't know all the features, but Google mail does let you see the ip address and city of the last few places your email was accessed from... So that part may well be true and if she's seeing ip addys other than her own, someone else is likely accessing her account.
That would actually explain the emails... Good idea that its someone deleting her sent emails and sending a different version to make it look like the one that was actually sent didn't exist. She needs to change her pw...
Really really crappy on the theory of her kids involvement though. I hope that's not the case. I trust kiddo more than anyone in the world and would be crushed if she tried to set me up like that.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
I agree with the point about "hacking" really often being just careful guessing or installing keylogging software. Sorry I initially rapidspeed read this post but wanted to echo Optimist's post that there are shitty spying apps out there (esp for phones, that is actually very possible - the whole deleting, reading text thing is very real, Ive seen it action on youtube). Best for her to copy her whole address book for both and contact he previous contacts with her new email address. and ensure change her password to include different letters, numbers, special symbols, capitals, etc for nothing she currently uses.
Id say ditto for her phone as well.
But do a really serious computer scan, this link has a bunch of resources: http://www.stripperweb.com/forum/sho...omputer-Health
But changing the already sent emails is impossible. Sometimes IT types will justify stalking behavior by saying only they specially get "it" when really theyre just using free iphone apps and freeware from CNET on their windows os, all of which can be easily circumnavigated. I think her paranoia though is justified though.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Aslo wanted to add it is 500,000x easier to do all of the above if he had actual access to her stuff (computer, phone) to install everything... so she may want to make sure that since he moved out (Im guessing) she has new locks on the doors... he may have installed it all early on or when things were getting bad though. but just in case.
She may also want to keep an eye out for new users on her computer bc he may have just installed a remote access kind of software to access everything... so if her browser automatically logs her into her email address he doesnt need to 'hack' at all... if her texts are stored on a site she automatically logs into, he doesnt need to do anything except click. remote access software is basically where you can log onto someone's computer from another computer. if her comp runs on windows, just hit ctrl+alt|delete , start task manager , select 'users' and see if there is a name or program running that she doesnt recognize.
failing that, make sure she goes through her installed programs for a program she doesnt recognize (teamviewer, LogMeIn, mstsc are common program files but look around anyway) and uninstall them... and delete any traces from her registry (manually). because malware/virus/keylogging detection programs wont pick it up.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Trem
When people say someone hacked them what they actually mean is "he figured out my incredibly easy password" or "i forgot to logoff and he accessed it"...
:rotfl:
Funny and true.
But so is this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Optimist
For those who haven't heard of it or insist this woman "must" be crazy:
http://voices.yahoo.com/cell-phone-s...re-414257.html
Nationwide, 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually and for several Washington state families it's an experience that's come home in a bizarre way.
As reported in The News Tribune three families, the Kuykendalls, the Prices, and the McKays have been stalked by cyber stalkers who are using the victims' own cell phones to track their every move. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, the police can't seem to catch the perpetrators and therefore seem inclined to believe that the families themselves are creating an elaborate hoax. There is plenty of proof, however, to show that the stalking is very real and experts say it's not that hard to pull off. (snip)
Here's how to clone a phone:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5946251_clon...-sim-card.html
Here's a particularly high profile cases of phone hacking:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11248...hone-hack.html
http://www.people.com/people/article...509728,00.html
Nothing outlandish at all about her concerns.
Could be a case of a mildly paranoid person who has been hacked through negligence, and/or skill of the hackers, maybe even has had her phone messed with as is clearly possible, and now is seeing hackers everywhere, in everything--even sent e-mails, etc.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Trem
When people say someone hacked them what they actually mean is "he figured out my incredibly easy password" or "i forgot to logoff and he accessed it"...
:rotfl:
Funny and true.
But so is this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Optimist
For those who haven't heard of it or insist this woman "must" be crazy:
http://voices.yahoo.com/cell-phone-s...re-414257.html
Nationwide, 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually and for several Washington state families it's an experience that's come home in a bizarre way.
As reported in The News Tribune three families, the Kuykendalls, the Prices, and the McKays have been stalked by cyber stalkers who are using the victims' own cell phones to track their every move. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, the police can't seem to catch the perpetrators and therefore seem inclined to believe that the families themselves are creating an elaborate hoax. There is plenty of proof, however, to show that the stalking is very real and experts say it's not that hard to pull off. (snip)
Here's how to clone a phone:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5946251_clon...-sim-card.html
Here's a particularly high profile cases of phone hacking:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11248...hone-hack.html
http://www.people.com/people/article...509728,00.html
Nothing outlandish at all about her concerns.
Could be a case of a mildly paranoid person who has been hacked through negligence, and/or skill of the hackers, maybe even has had her phone messed with as is clearly possible, and now is seeing hackers everywhere, in everything--even sent e-mails, etc.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Phone email hacking is possible in this era of technology. There are bundles of apps which can be use to monitor emails. Most of the monitoring apps are used to keep an eye on employees. For that purpose employer confirm its ROI by monitoring their employees. Its legal or not i am not confirm about that.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
It isn't paranoia unless they really are coming to get you.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
Oh shit I didn't even remember that I had posted this online. Wow you guys are never going to believe how this one ended. I had to drop her as a client because we went to court one day and she started explaining her stories to the judge. Part of me believed her but it sounded so ridiculous, and the husband started to make allegations that she was mentally unstable. I was way too inexperienced to handle the case and I was concerned she was going to lose custody.
Last year I found her obituary in the newspaper. Actually I googled her to see whatever happened and that's how I found the death notice. The obituary didn't explain the cause of death and so I went to the local police station to ask them if they had a record of a crime or what had happened.
The lady died by carbon monoxide poisoning in her own garage. It was investigated as a simple suicide but there was no note. For anybody who watches house of cards, I think you know where my mind went once I learned the cause of death.
I had been way in over my head representing someone in such a high conflict divorce and I farmed it out to a high-powered lawyer. When I called him to ask what happened he didn't even remember who I was talking about.
I don't know if she killed her self or not. Something tells me she might have been right about some of her conspiracy theories. I'm very happy I left family law. People do insane things in domestic court cases.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
You had legal training or acting as was counselor?
Occasionally 'cases' are never considered as cases, such as two old friends of mine. Lots of 'crimes' are never solved in that way too.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
No I was actually the lawyer of record for her court case for short time.
From what I can tell the cops didn't bat an eyelash when they found her body, and the jerk litigator who I had referred her case to couldn't care less what actually happened to her.
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
An honest lawyer. wonderful! :)
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??
To be honest, with the advanced tech, it indeed is possible that the phone can be hacked. For example, some monitor apps like kidsguard pro, xnspy, etc..
-
Re: Phone / Email Hacking - Is this even possible? Techies??