How to Tell if Your Phone Has Been Hacked

by Natasha Stokes on February 15, 2023
in Privacy, Phones and Mobile, Mobile Apps, Tips & How-Tos :: 729 comments

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Updated by Suzanne Kantra on 2/15/2023 with new research and interviews with Keatron Evans, Principal Security Advisor at Infosec Institute, Sachin Puri, Vice President of Marketing at McAfee, and Jakub Vavra, Threat Analyst at Avast.

From email to banking, our smartphones are the main hub of our online lives. No wonder smartphones rival computers as common targets for online hackers. And despite the efforts of Google and Apple, mobile malware continues to land in official app stores – and these malicious apps are getting sneakier.

There are three main types of threats faced by mobile users: malware apps, adware, and spyware. According to the McAfee 2022 Mobile Threat Report, mobile malware apps are mainly masquerading as gaming hacks, cryptomining, and messaging apps to gather account logins, charge fees for bogus services, and sign users up for premium text services. In its 2022 State of Malware Report, MalwareBytes reported a rise in aggressive adware – ads that appear in notifications, the lock screen, and in popups – and highlights the fact that preinstalled malware on inexpensive Android devices continues to be a serious problem. Spyware is software that monitors a device’s content, programs that harness a device’s internet bandwidth for use in a botnet to send spam, or phishing screens that steal a user’s logins when entered into a compromised, legitimate app. It is often unintentionally downloaded from non-official sources that people visit in phishing links sent via email or text messages, as well as malicious websites.

Then there are the commercial spy apps that require physical access to download to a phone. These apps are often installed by those well-known to the victim, such as a partner or parent, and can monitor everything that occurs on the device.

There are technological means and motives for hackers, governments, and even the people we know, such as a spouse or employer, to hack into our phones and invade our privacy. However, unless you’re a high-profile target – journalist, politician, political dissident, business executive, criminal – that warrants special interest, it’s far more likely to be someone close to you than a government entity doing the spying.

Not sure if you may have been hacked? We spoke to Keatron Evans, principal security advisor for Infosec Institute, Sachin Puri, Vice President of Marketing at McAfee, and Jakub Vavra, Threat Analyst at Avast, about how to tell if a smartphone might have been compromised. And, we explore the nine ways your phone can be hacked and the steps you can take to protect yourself.

What are the signs your phone may have been hacked

1. Noticeable decrease in battery life

While a phone’s battery life inevitably decreases over time, a smartphone that has been compromised by malware may start to display significantly decreased battery life. This is because the malware – or spy app – may be using your phone's resources to scan the device and transmit the information back to the hacker's server.

(That said, simple everyday use over time can also shorten your phone's battery life. Check if that’s the case by running through these steps for improving your Android or iPhone battery life.)

2. Sluggish performance

Do you find your phone frequently freezing or specific applications crashing? This could be a sign that malware is overloading your phone’s resources or interfering with other applications. You may also experience continued running of applications despite efforts to close them, or even have your phone crash and/or restart repeatedly.

(As with reduced battery life, many factors could contribute to a slower phone. One main contributor can be running out of storage space, so try freeing up space on your Android or iPhone.)

3. Phone feels hot when not using or charging it

Malware or apps, like bitcoin miners, running in the background can cause your phone to run hot or even overheat, according to Vavra. If your phone feels hot to the touch and it's not in use or on your charger, it could be a sign that malware is present. Try turning your phone off and on to see if the problem goes away. If not, there may be cause for concern.

4. High data usage

Another sign of a compromised phone is an unusually high data bill or running out of data before the end of the month. Extra data use can come from malware or spy apps running in the background and sending information back to their server.

For iPhones, go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down to see the list of apps using cellular data. You can check the current and last billing periods.

For plain Android phones (Google Pixels phones), go to Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs > App data usage. For Samsung phones, go to Settings > Connections > Data usage > Mobile data usage. Or, search for "data usage" in the search bar of the Settings app.

5. Outgoing calls or texts you didn’t send

If you see lists of calls or texts to numbers you don’t know, be wary. These could be premium-rate numbers that malware is forcing your phone to contact, the proceeds of which land in the cyber-criminal’s wallet. In this case, check your phone bill for any costs you don’t recognize.

6. Mystery pop-ups and apps

While not all pop-ups mean your phone has been hacked, constant pop-up alerts could indicate that your phone has been infected with adware, a form of malware that forces devices to view certain pages that drive revenue through clicks. Even if a pop-up isn’t the result of a compromised phone, pop-ups coming from external sources can include phishing links that attempt to get you to type in sensitive info or download malware.

You may also find apps on your phone that you didn't download and could be signs malware has been installed on your device. If you don't recall downloading the app, you can press and hold on the app icon (Android) and click on the option for App info. Scroll down and the App details section will tell you were the app was installed from (should be Google Play Store). Click on App details to go to the Google Play Store, where you can check the app is a legitimate app from a trustworthy developer. For Apple owners, go to the App Store and tap on your profile icon, select Purchased > My Purchases, and search for the app name.

7. Unusual activity on any accounts linked to the device

If a hacker has access to your phone, they also have access to your accounts – from social media to email to various lifestyle or productivity apps. This could reveal itself in activity on your accounts, such as resetting a password, sending emails, signing up for new accounts whose verification emails land in your inbox, or moving emails to trash that you don’t remember seeing (especially those verification emails).

In this case, you could be at risk for identity fraud, where criminals open new accounts or lines of credit in your name, using information taken from your breached accounts. It’s a good idea to change your passwords – without updating them on your phone – before running a security sweep on your phone itself.

How your phone can be hacked and what you can do to prevent it

From targeted breaches and vendetta-fueled snooping to harvesting data from the unsuspecting, here are nine ways someone could be spying on your cell phone – and what you can do about it.

1. Spy apps

There is a glut of phone monitoring apps designed to covertly track someone’s location and snoop on their communications. Many are advertised to suspicious partners or distrustful employers, others are marketed as legitimate tools for safety-concerned parents to keep tabs on their kids. Such apps can be used to remotely view text messages, emails, internet history, and photos; log phone calls and GPS locations; some may even hijack the phone’s mic to record conversations made in person. Basically, almost anything a hacker could possibly want to do with your phone, these apps would allow.

Techlicious has studied consumer cell phone spying apps and found they could do everything they promised. Worse, they were easy for anyone to install, and the person who was being spied on would be none the wiser that their every move was being tracked. Commercial spyware programs, like Pegasus, sold to law enforcement and government agencies (including in countries with poor human rights histories), don't even require direct access to the device.

“The purpose of spyware is to be undetectable. Generally, if it's sophisticated, it may be very difficult to detect,” says Vavra.

Likelihood

Spyware apps are not available on Google Play or Apple's App Store. So someone would have to jailbreak your iPhone or enable unauthorized apps on your Android phone and download the spyware from a non-official store. Parental monitoring apps, which are available in Google Play and the App Store, have similar features for tracking and monitoring, but they aren't designed to be hidden from view.

How to protect yourself

Since installing spy apps requires physical access to your device, putting a passcode on your phone greatly reduces the chances of someone being able to access your phone in the first place. And since spy apps are often installed by someone close to you (think a spouse or significant other), pick a code that won’t be guessed by anyone else.
Go through your apps list for ones you don’t recognize.
Don’t jailbreak your iPhone. If a device isn’t jailbroken, all apps show up in the App Library. If it is jailbroken, spy apps are able to hide deep in the device, and whether security software can find it depends on the sophistication of the spy app. For iPhones, ensuring your phone isn’t jailbroken also prevents anyone from downloading a spy app to your phone, since such software – which tampers with system-level functions - doesn’t make it into the App Store. The easiest way to tell if your iPhone has been jailbroken is the existence of an alternate app store, like Cydia or Sileo. They may be hidden, so search for them. If you find one, you'll need to restore your phone to factory settings. Back up your phone and then go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
If you have an Android phone, go to Settings and search for "install unknown apps" and make sure all sources are set to off.
Download a mobile security app that will scan for rogue apps. We recommend Avast, Bitdefender, or McAfee.

2. Phishing messages

Whether it’s a text claiming to help you recover a package or a friend exhorting you to "check out this photo of you last night", text messages containing deceptive links that aim to collect sensitive information (otherwise known as phishing or “smishing”) continue to make the rounds. And with people often checking their email apps throughout the day, phishing emails are just as lucrative for attackers.

Periods such as tax season tend to attract a spike in phishing messages, preying on people’s concerns over their tax returns. You'll also see a rise after natural disasters, asking people to donate.

Android phones may also fall prey to texts with links to download malicious apps. Android won't allow you to install apps from sources outside the Play Store unless you change your install permissions in Settings to allow unknown app, so it's safest to always keep these set to "Not allowed". The same scam isn’t workable for iPhones, which are commonly non-jailbroken and, therefore, can’t download apps from anywhere except the App Store.

Likelihood

Quite likely. While people have learned to be skeptical of emails asking them to click links, people tend to be less wary when using their phones.

How to protect yourself

Keep in mind how you usually verify your identity with various accounts – for example, your bank will never ask you to provide your password or PIN via text message or email.
Check the IRS’s phishing section to familiarize yourself with how the tax agency communicates with people, and verify any communications you receive.
Avoid clicking links in texts from numbers you don’t know or in unusual messages from friends.

3. Unauthorized access to iCloud or Google account

Hacked iCloud and Google accounts offer access to an astounding amount of information backed up from your smartphone – photos, contacts, location, messages, call logs, and saved passwords. This information can be used for phishing or blackmail.

Additionally, access to your Google account means access to your Gmail, the primary email for many users. The ability to use your email for verification codes to your accounts can lead to a domino effect of hacking all the accounts your email is linked to – from your Facebook account to your mobile carrier account, paving the way for identity theft.

Likelihood

If you use a weak password, it won’t be difficult for a hacker to gain access to your account.

How to protect yourself

Create a strong password for all your accounts (and, as always, your email). We recommend using a password manager so you can use strong passwords without needing to memorize them. Password managers can also generate strong passwords, making the process even easier.
Enable login notifications, so you are aware of sign-ins from new computers or locations.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) so that even if someone discovers your password, they can’t access your account without access to your 2FA method.
To prevent someone from resetting your password, lie when setting up password security questions. You would be amazed by how many security questions rely on information that is easily available on the Internet or is widely known by family and friends.

4. SIM swapping

Last year, the FBI announced that it saw a significant rise in SIM swapping complaints. With SIM swapping, cybercriminals call up cellular carriers to pose as legitimate customers who have been locked out of their accounts. By providing stolen personal information, they’re able to get the phone number ported to their own device and use it to ultimately take over a person’s online accounts, including virtual currency accounts.

Likelihood

SIM swapping is not common, but it is on the rise.

How to protect yourself

Make sure you have your cellular account protected by an account passcode. Don’t use guessable numbers for your carrier PIN – like your birthday or family birthdays, all of which could be found on social media.
For AT&T, log into your AT&T account, select Account settings > Linked accounts > Manage extra security and make sure "Extra security" is checked in the Account Passcode tile.
For T-Mobile, log into your T-Mobile account with the T-Mobile app and select Account > Profile Settings > Privacy and notifications > SIM protection, and toggle on SIM protection for your accounts and select "Save Changes."
For Verizon, log into your Verizon account with the Verizon app. Select Account Settings > Number Lock and toggle on for all of your accounts and select "Save Changes."

5. Hacked phone camera

The prevalence of video calling has highlighted the importance of securing computer webcams from hackers – but that front-facing phone cam could also be at risk. To gain access to your phone's camera, hackers would need to have the ability to run software remotely in a remote code execution (RCE) attack. In 2021, a vulnerability found in Qualcomm and MediaTek chips used in two-thirds of all phones sold that year put people at risk of RCE attacks, including streaming video from the phone's camera. This vulnerability was quickly patched, but RCE vulnerabilities regularly crop up, including Apple's recent update to old iPad and iPhones.

Likelihood

While RCE vulnerabilities continue to be a problem, cameras are not usually the target. Hacking is unlikely unless someone has physical access to install an app on your phone.

How to protect yourself

Always download security updates for all apps and your device.

6. Apps that over-request permissions

While many apps over-request permissions for the purpose of data harvesting, some may be more malicious and request intrusive access to everything from your location data to your camera roll. Puri notes that "Cheating tools and hacking apps are popular ways to get extra capabilities in mobile games. Criminals are exploiting this by promoting game hacking apps that include malicious code on legitimate messaging channels." Other types of apps that have been known to deliver malware include camera filters, photo editors, and messaging apps. And last year, McAfee identified a group of "cleaner apps" that purportedly removed unneeded files or optimized battery life, but actually installed malware on millions of devices.

Likelihood

It's common to run into apps that over-request permissions.

How to protect yourself

Read app permissions and avoid downloading apps that request more access than they should need to operate.
For Android, download a mobile security app such as Avast, Bitdefender, or McAfee that will scan apps before downloading and flag suspicious activity on apps you do have.

7. Snooping via open WiFi networks

The next time you happen upon a password-free WiFi network in public, be careful. Nefarious public hotspots can redirect you to lookalike banking or email sites designed to capture your username and password. It's not necessarily a shifty manager of the establishment you’re frequenting who's behind the ruse. For example, someone physically across the road from a coffee shop could set up a login-free WiFi network named after the café in hopes of catching useful login details for sale or identity theft.

Likelihood

If you're using a legitimate public WiFi network, Vavra says that "there are now enough safeguards it [snooping] shouldn't be too much of an issue." Most websites use HTTPS to encrypt your data, making it worthless to snoopers.

How to protect yourself

Use the apps on your phone to access email, banking, etc., rather than your browser, and you will be protected against malicious redirects.
Vavra says that "VPN adds another layer of encryption and essentially creates a more secure tunnel between the user and the website. While HTTPS only covers the communication data, VPN encrypts all data sent and can be used to change user location as perceived by the website or service the user is communicating with. So even the ISP (Internet provider) doesn’t see what is sent." Paid versions of mobile security apps often include a VPN, and we like Nord VNP and, for a free option, Proton VPN.

8. SS7 global phone network vulnerability

A communication protocol for 2G and 3G mobile networks, Signaling System No 7 (SS7), has a vulnerability that lets hackers spy on text messages, phone calls, and locations. The security issues have been well-known for years, and hackers have exploited this hole to intercept two-factor authentication (2FA) codes sent via SMS from banks. According to Evans, his method could also be used to impersonate a user's identity by spoofing their MSISDN or IMSI number, intercept calls, locate the user, commit billing fraud, and launch a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, which could bring down the network.

Likelihood

Evens says that the likelihood is pretty low of experiencing this type of hack. The major U.S. carriers have shut down their 3G service, and Evans estimates that only about 17 percent of the world still uses 2G or 3G networks.

How to protect yourself

Choose email or (safer yet) an authenticator app as your 2FA method, instead of text message. We like Authy and Google Authenticator.
Use an end-to-end encrypted message service that works over the internet (thus bypassing the SS7 protocol). WhatsApp and Signal encrypt messages and calls, preventing anyone from intercepting or interfering with your communications.
Keep your device updated.
If you want to be extra careful, Evans suggests, "If you're traveling abroad, get a cheap phone that you can almost use as a disposable and get rid of it when you get back or getting ready to return."

9. Fake cellular towers, like the FBI’s Stingray

The FBI, IRS, ICE, DEA, U.S. National Guard, Army, and Navy are among the government bodies known to use cellular surveillance devices (the eponymous StingRays) that mimic bona fide network towers. StingRays, and similar ISMI pretender wireless carrier towers, force nearby cell phones to drop their existing carrier connection to connect to the StingRay instead, allowing the device’s operators to monitor calls and texts made by these phones, their movements, and the numbers of who they text and call. As StingRays have a radius of about half a mile, an attempt to monitor a suspect’s phone in a crowded city center could amount to tens of thousands of phones being tapped.

The American Civil Liberties Union has identified over 75 federal agencies in over 27 states that own StingRay-type devices but notes that this number is likely a drastic underestimate. In 2015, the Department of Justice started requiring its agencies to obtain warrants for using StingRay-type devices, but this guidance doesn't apply to local and state authorities. Several states have passed legislation requiring a warrant for use, including California, Washington, Virginia, New York, Utah, and Illinois.

Likelihood

While the average citizen isn’t the target of a StingRay-type operation, it’s impossible to know what is done with extraneous data captured from non-targets.

How to protect yourself

Use encrypted messaging and voice call apps, particularly if you enter a situation that could be of government interest, such as a protest. WhatsApp and Signal encrypt messages and calls, preventing anyone from intercepting or interfering with your communications. Most encryption in use today isn’t breakable, and a single phone call would take 10-15 years to decrypt.

From security insiders to less tech-savvy folk, many are already moving away from traditional, unencrypted communications – and perhaps in several years, it will be unthinkable that we ever allowed our private conversations and information to fly through the ether unprotected.

[image credit: hacker smartphone concept via BigStockPhoto]

Natasha Stokes has been a technology writer for more than seven years covering consumer tech issues, digital privacy, and cybersecurity. As the features editor at TOP10VPN, she covered online censorship and surveillance that impact the lives of people around the world. Her work has also appeared on BBC Worldwide, CNN, Time, and Travel+Leisure.

Discussion

My phone is a Moto

From Carolyn Harris on November 30, 2019 :: 11:19 pm

My phone is a Moto g4

Help

From Linda Kvasnicka on December 08, 2019 :: 8:42 pm

How to find out my phone being hack.Someone has gotten into my bank account. What can I do to protect myself from them doing it again. .They have all my inf. Wipped my out

Probably wasn't your phone

From Josh Kirschner on December 10, 2019 :: 12:08 am

I’m sorry to hear about your bank account, but it probably wasn’t due to a phone hack. More likely, you were either phished for your bank login credentials, you reused a password for your bank that you used elsewhere, or the criminals were able to reset your bank password based by hacking your email and/or figuring out your security questions. It’s hard to say more definitively without more information from your bank on how they got in.

Are you serious?

From Robb on January 11, 2020 :: 6:53 am

A lot…and I mean A LOT of these issues you say “not to worry about” because they don’t sound real, are VERY real. Do you have any background in technology even? This is simple and destructive software manipulation. You are not helping at all. Do a little research, try it yourself! You should not be Fielding questions on this matter. Sorry, had to be said.

My fcbk account was hacked,trying

From Precious M Malik on December 13, 2019 :: 7:30 am

My fcbk account was hacked,trying to retrieve it the code sent by fcbk cudnt reach my phone but through another number and code not acceptable by fcbk am suspecting my Sims too are hacked. What do I do

Being hacked help.

From Eulis lemons on December 19, 2019 :: 10:54 am

Don’t know how to stop hacker please help

Think my phone has been hacked

From Yolanda on December 23, 2019 :: 7:35 am

I found Facebook accounts an email account and a Instagram of a person i dont know on my phone, is it possible that my phone has been hacked?

That doesn't sound like hacking.

From Josh Kirschner on December 23, 2019 :: 3:54 pm

Hackers don’t install their accounts on other peoples’ phones. In fact, it would be impossible for someone to install their Facebook or Instagram account on your phones unless they had physical access to it or gave you their credentials to add for them. Did you buy your phone used? Is it possible you took someone else’s phone by mistake?

everything i own is hacked

From Person 2 on January 04, 2020 :: 1:38 pm

i have a celebrity stalker.
everything in my house and car is hacked.
what should i do

internet connection

From Ntombekaya Totongwana on January 25, 2020 :: 6:24 am

Cant log in facebook can’t see my friends and chat to them can’t see my timeline cant see notifications just everything is not working right

simcard

From Ntombekaya Totongwana on January 25, 2020 :: 7:43 am

It all started when i was using this simcard 0623976065now the simcard doesn’t work i couldn’tchat with my friends in whatsapp it just said emergence calls only till now

apps

From Ntombekaya Totongwana on January 25, 2020 :: 4:45 pm

I think they are tempered plz help find the source of my problems i don’t have aphone like this

hacked

From Ntombekaya Totongwana on January 25, 2020 :: 5:32 pm

My phone is sumsung z2

What if this is a possiblity!?

From diane on January 27, 2020 :: 5:00 pm

This is what I heard from reading about others with this problem and it is true as what was read from law cases with same situation and those who could pay for legal help!!
It is sort of like those maybe!?
Neighbors or someone possibly hires person, through doctor case acting as a impersonator police or investigator…
people might be implanting deliberately covertly follow your every movement, watched hacking jobs computers your s also and TV set…even in town they work at listening and possible abuse of audio spy implant with ” “tracker put in mocking tracking of a offender without judge court approval for implantation”
so they can stalk harasses the victims while unknown does other stuff at their work area, but not in the building ...outside when no one is around to witness the crime activity and at home, so police can’t find any evidence of harassment or damage to property, pet ,home, car and even work when it is closed… at will, hoping to get them falsely fired, also hoping to cause problem for employer ...
and the neighbors just say: You can’t do anything about nothing to stop us,nothing about it, our friends set you up and police won’t ever know or help you! they will even try to get you for fake arrests like rape, paid by them and planned way ahead of time to know they can pull the most evil entrapment!!so if neighbor or someone mentions ( revenge artist!) we investigated you ten years ago without law knowing they might be hinting your being set up!

their doing the “Enemy of the State movie” gene Hackman stuff now! Mocking or doing surveillance used by police and FBI!

It could be MY mistake.

From Rebecca Logue on February 04, 2020 :: 1:05 am

I had an account set up on Instagram for my kitten‐‐ you know the type: I post cute photos of him & write remarks as if he was saying them. The account was set up in his name; if you searched for his name, the account would come up.
He had 14 followers so far!

I had an Galaxy S7 which WAS experiencing quick battery drain but I figured it needed a battery. I went to the Samsung store, and got an A50 instead.
I’ve had some problems with it, but the main one seems pretty minor compared to being stalked and spied upon but…suddenly, I couldn’t reach my kitten’s Instagram account unless I went to Rebecca.35.1 or something. New photos wouldn’t post to the real account. But at the top of the page on the left side, the name of the original account was there. It was the only way I could reach it.
So I wrote, “This is not Keby’s real account. Touch his name at the top of this page to get to his real page.”
That has disappeared and I can’t find kebyjoe at all. His page had about 16 photos, now this one has 2.
I don’t remember anything about rebecca, etc. Could I have done this when transferring information to old & new phone?

In the past week, I have found that the phone is telling me Yahoo is draining my battery. The bizarre thing about that is that I seldom use Yahoo and a couple weeks before I got this new phone, because of the battery drain, I deleted 1000 emails from Yahoo. NOW it’s got a battery drain?
My problem is that I don’t know how easily I can screw up a phone all by myself, and I may have done some things inadvertently. Is that possible?

Samsung Galaxy note 9

From Shannonanddaniel Leonard Hadley on February 20, 2020 :: 1:20 pm

I have messages popped up on my phone that are not messages I’ve sent or anything I’ve not had any service on this phone and I just found out that is reported stolen what’s going on with my phone and how do I fix it cuz it’s causing problems in my relationship

My phone has been hacked

From Eangel on February 21, 2020 :: 2:53 am

Hello, my phone has been hacked and it’s become very obvious. I think it’s been about a year now, but since I’m anything but tech savvy I didn’t understand what was happening. Also I tend to trust a little too much. If a anyone could please help me I would greatly appreciate it there is alot more to say about it all but I don’t want to put too much in my first comment. Bottom line is I could use the help of a knowledgeable and honest person. Thank you

Can a VPN Help?

From Billy Edwards on March 02, 2020 :: 10:54 am

Well, I advise a lot of my clients to use VPNs like Express or Ivacy to get protected on that initial level of encrypting their digital footprints and so far it has been really helpful.

I have been hack

From Audrey Kennemer on March 06, 2020 :: 10:21 pm

What do i do not i get calls all hours of the night..i know someone getting into my gmail how do i stop it..someone disconnected my service wednesday night..i tried to change my number and it keeps saying i. Don’t have enough bars..i cant even gets service whee I’m at when i moved here i had great service not its drop domn to 3 bars then down to no bars

Hello, I feel like my

From Winnie odoyo on March 10, 2020 :: 12:54 am

Hello, I feel like my phone is hacked I need help camon 11 tecno

All my home devices are hacked!

From Jeremy Whittington on March 11, 2020 :: 7:50 am

All my devices including my firestick,and phones, pc, and tablets, have RATs! They have destroyed over 10 TV of pc hard drive data, I have no control over any of my online accounts, or my devices for that matter. They can get in though the cell connection or cable internet, they take control of my devices, use huge amounts of data, and even block me from contacting my data providers. I can get no help, and it has ruined and IS CURRENTLY RUINING MY LIFE. have no control anymore.they seem to have rooted my android devices including my firestick,so factory resets dont help there, it just comes back when done.(When I called amazon about this, they basically told me that that is impossible, nevermind I can hardly use it because of the huge data that keep filling it) I can not use my home internet or cell internet hardly at all for the last two months. Not that my ISP or cell provider care they just say it was used and expect payment. I’ve worked with tech for over 30 years, I use vpn, and antivirus,malware. but none of this works is for this. I’m at a loss, about ready to toss about 5 grand worth of equipment. Or just cry. Not happy with Nord Vpn,not happy with google,Samsung, not happy with McCaffrey, not happy with my ISP, or tmobile. I gotten very little help, or could not even get ahold of these entities.Seriously this is a nightmare, and is about to put me in the nuthouse.

I don't have any advice,

From ImNotCrazyJustMad on December 10, 2021 :: 6:37 pm

I don’t have any advice, but complete sympathy. I KNOW I am under 24-7 surveillance. It is the absolute most unnerving experience to know you are being watched, stalked, monitored, and VIOLATED and have no recourse! People just think you are paranoid or excuse the evidence as merely coincidence. BS. There are no coincidences in life! It is enough to make you feel like you are going crazy, like you are constantly being gaslit into questioning your own reality! I am a very sensible and sane person, intelligent and capable, but I am not tech savvy. Anyone I’ve tried to get to help me is just so quick to dismiss me. I don’t have delusions of government stalking. I know exactly who it and what they are doing. And I want to PROVE IT!

Sincerely,
FRUSTRATED CYBER STALKING VICTIM

Can't access my Gmail account after losing my phone and it being two step Verification locked

From Amelia Wood/Robinson on March 25, 2020 :: 5:37 pm

Go back in 2018 I lost my phone went on a walk with my baby dad I can swear I had it in the stroller but when we got home and I went looking for it I couldn’t find it and I went out looking for it and couldn’t find it anywhere I even went back to the gas station where I thought I may have left it but they said they didn’t find anything I tried accessing my Gmail account from another device and it wouldn’t let me access it because my account was two step verification locked and I didn’t know any of the codes I know my password and my username but it wasn’t until like a couple days later that my baby dad brought up my Samsung account and told me I could access the location through there and sure enough it stated that the location was at the gas station and and that my device didn’t leave that location I tried calling it multiple times tried to find my device through Samsung up until the battery died I ended up going into AT&T and getting a new phone same model and had the same phone number yet when I tried sending the verification code to my phone number it wasn’t an option because they couldn’t verify the device I love more than anything to be able to regain access to all of my Gmail accounts that were on that device but unfortunately I’m locked out of all three of them because I had all of my Gmail accounts connected and 2-step Verification locked there’s several accounts that I can’t regain access to such as bank accounts my Snapchat and now I’m even locked out of my Samsung account because somehow the password got changed on it and I entered the wrong password too many times in my Samsung account is registered to the email that I can’t get into any more I spoke with AT&T about it and they said that they have no connection with Gmail so they can’t do anything about it to get me back into my account I have pictures of my kids and videos and things I can’t replace it’s heartbreaking please help

Hacked? When Powers Off in Middle of Call

From C on March 29, 2020 :: 5:10 pm

Hi,

I’ve heard that if your phone powers off in the middle of a call and both phones have enough power that my phone has been hacked. Is that true? If so what do I need to do, change my number, get a new chip?

Cindy

Not true.

From Josh Kirschner on April 02, 2020 :: 6:33 pm

If your phone powers off in the middle of a call when the battery isn’t showing low power, it likely means you have a bad battery that needs to be replaced.

While a phone can be shut off remotely if someone has access to your Apple or Google account and chooses to power off your device, it seems a much more unlikely scenario than a bad battery.

your last sentence

From Miranda Kerr on June 20, 2020 :: 6:55 am

Needs editing

High phone Bills

From Alan on March 30, 2020 :: 12:24 pm

Hi I get high phone bills all the time and I have 2 old school flip phones and a tablet all have there own phone numbers any one that can help me find out why??? Or help me find the ones doing this than you… have a great weekend.

Why are your bills high?

From Josh Kirschner on April 02, 2020 :: 6:34 pm

What, specifically, is causing your bills to be high?

Weird location

From Jay on April 04, 2020 :: 11:48 pm

One day my google account said something to the effect kf “ based on your last location in clarksburg blah blah blah ... well I’m in Pittsburgh .... nowhere near clarksburgh which is , oddly enough , the fbis criminal investigation headquarters . Is it possibly they were in my google account and able to erase all tracks of it ? Seriously. Thanks

My iPhone 6 is being

From Saafis Moss on April 05, 2020 :: 6:57 am

My iPhone 6 is being hacked by someone and I need help

IPHONE 6

From Saafis Moss on April 05, 2020 :: 6:59 am

My phone is being hack and I need help from being hacking by a online criminal

IPHONE 6

From Saafis Moss on April 05, 2020 :: 7:01 am

I need help

I would like to meet others in my situation

From Martina Kelm on April 05, 2020 :: 6:05 pm

I’m in the same boat as you guy’s!! What’s the solution???

3rd Comment

From Kammi Kothmann on April 07, 2020 :: 1:18 am

i just wrote a long passage to show yall im hacked to the max. By family members who want everything i have as they can manage it better themselves. I take care of 3 houses and make sure they have electricity , water, Spectrum all the way, wifi, air conditioning , a pool , plenty of food etc. And this is the thanks i get, my Gmail, Yahoo, icloud accounts hacked. Mty iphone tells me i have taken 614 steps yesterday so im synced with somebodys watch. My laptop, forget it, they screwed that up for me, too. My phone all of the sudden reader view comes up and i finally figured out how to take that off. Im locked out of Facebook every time i turn around. People tell me change your password but they still get in, like rats that think they are so sneaky. Well, hope this helps you that you are not the only one who is going through this. ive been going through this for 5 years now….

My phone was hached

From Mhen luna on April 17, 2020 :: 5:52 pm

Please protect my phone

Extortion

From Peterlovegrove on April 22, 2020 :: 4:24 pm

Had email saying had one my passwords and will forward private video of myself that I don’t remember but threatens to send to contacts which I don’t no of tel/f/book etc
Asking for money in bitcoin in 24 hours I have replied but worrying email code could be one I use but not one I’ve used if I have in a while

Can this person send anything to my contacts and if can
And I see how do I take down or delete ?

That's a common scam

From Josh Kirschner on April 22, 2020 :: 6:06 pm

Don’t fall for it. The person has nothing on you. This is a common sextortion scam that’s been going around for a couple of years now. Click the link for more info.

fuckmylife@home

From Mike Child on April 27, 2020 :: 8:53 pm

I lost everything… fuck life…

Gangstalking

From juan on May 01, 2020 :: 8:49 pm

look I got out of prison, started working was doing fine but I fell asleep at the wheel, got into a accident and I have not recovered since, what does that have to do with gang stalking? they have been following me for almost 3 years, though it started I believe with the feds, now it is the Maricopa county sheriffs. What ever they were trying to do almost worked. Then someone let me in on their secret. Don’t get angry, get even as screw with them. I jumped on the freeway at one exit and got off at the next exit and went around in circles 30 times, at the end no one was behind me anymore. What they are going to end up doing is getting some innocent bystander killed. sooner or later they will run into that person and let their conscience stand before God and deny it.

i know who this is doing this my c

From Deanna Celler on May 12, 2020 :: 10:25 am

please have proper atthortoes

My phone has been hacked

From Hepl on May 23, 2020 :: 12:31 am

My phone has been hacked I noticed all function are running automatically I m not using my phone it works automatically usage of net is also decreasing I kindly request u to please help sir

I am pretty sure my phone is cloned or spy app.

From Ajay on May 23, 2020 :: 10:54 am

Please rectify my problem.
Thanks
Ajay

Wow youz all NUTZ!!

From Jon Rock on May 25, 2020 :: 4:40 am

Omg! Wow so many people here claiming to be followed and stalked and hacked. Yikes tech has truly enhanced the paranoid schizophrenics theatrics. I’m certainly not suggesting hacking doesn’t exist…but seriously…they follow you down the highway…they break into your home for sensitive information? Come on guys take your meds and download a brain teaser game.

Yes it’s real, stalked for years

From Stalked in Michigan on March 19, 2021 :: 11:09 am

Yes it’s very real. After being hounded for years it starts as suspicious coincidents , then you realize there are way to many to be normal driving activity. Then you research and find your not the only one experiencing this torture. The name is gang stalking and it is very real. It is also illegal, immoral, unconstitutional, psychological torture. -Greg’s

TORTURE

From ImNotCrazyImMad on December 10, 2021 :: 6:55 pm

Hi Greg, you are right, being stalked is psychological torture. And it most definitely is very real. I was physically stalked by an ex who also attempted to kill me…he’s in prison now…so he’s aware of how real it is. I am being stalked again through cyberstalking and identity theft…and I know who it is…the issue is so many people think that we are “paranoid schizophrenic” theatrical people. Maybe that commenter should try having their every move being watched and have nobody believe them. It is enough do drive a person mad. it is unsettling to say the least. I’m from Michigan as well, I’ve never heard of gang stalkers. Unfortunately for me, both of my stalkers were/are people close to me, people I trusted, and I have paid the price heavily. They destroyed my name, identity, and financial life.

Help

From Help on June 01, 2020 :: 12:53 pm

I have a notification with Google Assistance saying my phone has been hacked and im scared im just 14 I don’t know what to do

That sounds like scareware

From Josh Kirschner on June 01, 2020 :: 2:46 pm

Google Assistant won’t give you a message saying your phone has been hacked. That sounds like a scareware popup. Read our article on fake virus alerts and see if that sounds like what you experienced.

Doubt

From Doubt on June 07, 2020 :: 8:17 am

I have a question?? What are the chances the hack malware would get get deleted if u format your device

Very likely to be removed

From Josh Kirschner on June 09, 2020 :: 12:34 am

For the majority of spyware apps, or in situations where an iPhone has been jailbroken, resetting your device to factory settings almost certainly will remove the malware. I don’t want to say “definitely”, because there could be something out there that is more deeply embedded in your phone’s firmware that doesn’t get removed, but I would say that is highly unlikely for most people. And there are some cases where phone manufacturers installed malware inadvertently as part of their standard builds, which would not be removed on a reset.

sorrynotsorry

From STOPTHEIDENTIFY on June 09, 2020 :: 12:06 am

facebook is hacking me.

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