What the heck is up with this - cell phone snooping?

gibbons said:
Hey tech heads, is this for real?

http://consumerist.com/consumer/privacy/family-stalked-using-cellphone-snoopware-271435.php

[edit]
Looks real to me: http://www.populistamerica.com/fbi_taps_cell_phone_mic_as_eavesdropping_tool
Click to expand...

Hey, Scott! There's a big M in the picture.

It says the "snoopware" has to get into the phone by SMS. I would think if you don't SMS and you have Bluetooth locked down to prompt you to accept attachments, you would be fairly safe - barring the "hackers" getting their paws on the phone physically.

They can do the same with malware on PCs - turning on the camera and microphone. One would pop up windows on a victim's screen and type stuff at them. The usual protection methods would apply. Try putting tape over the camera. :rolleyes:
 
I know spamming in SMS is taking off big time. T-Mobile has the worlds worst SMS spam filter IMHO BTW. But this is just easy to not get as I have been told you need to open an app. So if you get an SMS that says to open something and you do not recognize the number don't do it. But even then I have not heard a lot about this stuff in while.
 
smigaldi said:
I know spamming in SMS is taking off big time. T-Mobile has the worlds worst SMS spam filter IMHO BTW. But this is just easy to not get as I have been told you need to open an app. So if you get an SMS that says to open something and you do not recognize the number don't do it. But even then I have not heard a lot about this stuff in while.
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Indeed. Our spam filter is actually non-existent. I have not yet heard of any SMS "virus" coming, mostly because I don't understand how an SMS can possibly do this. MMS? Maybe, but SMS?

But yeah, the addition of an SMS spam filter would be nice. I never get SMS spam, and I don't get many calls on it, but it would be easy enough to take advantage of. Can you say "War SMSing?"

edit: Unless the SMS has a link to go somewhere, in which case, yeah, there's a danger there.
 
SkyHog said:
Indeed. Our spam filter is actually non-existent. I have not yet heard of any SMS "virus" coming, mostly because I don't understand how an SMS can possibly do this. MMS? Maybe, but SMS?

But yeah, the addition of an SMS spam filter would be nice. I never get SMS spam, and I don't get many calls on it, but it would be easy enough to take advantage of. Can you say "War SMSing?"

edit: Unless the SMS has a link to go somewhere, in which case, yeah, there's a danger there.
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You are right that it is MMS that is the big risk. I just used the more common term SMS as I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that the MMS moniker was not yet in the public lexicon.
 
I can testify to two things:

1) that SMS spam is a problem. I got several "stock spam" messages on my T-Mobile phone while in Europe last week...

2) that T-Mobile customer service was one of the best customer service experiences I've had. 10 minutes after I walked in a store - the day before my international trip - I walked out with a working SIM chip that I shoved in my existing GSM phone. and off I went to Europe. No argument, no upsell, and just what I wanted. And Nick adds great value to that...
 
wsuffa said:
I can testify to two things:

1) that SMS spam is a problem. I got several "stock spam" messages on my T-Mobile phone while in Europe last week...

2) that T-Mobile customer service was one of the best customer service experiences I've had. 10 minutes after I walked in a store - the day before my international trip - I walked out with a working SIM chip that I shoved in my existing GSM phone. and off I went to Europe. No argument, no upsell, and just what I wanted. And Nick adds great value to that...
Click to expand...

LOL, glad I could help :D :D

Ummm....you didn't actually talk to me, did you?
 
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