It sounds like some kind of high-tech cyber stuff right out of Ocean’s Eleven except it’s very real. Tracking, eavesdropping, viewing text messages are all possible with versions of cell phone spy ware that make identity theft as well as cyber stalking possible.
According to Rick Mislan, former military intelligence officer and current cyber forensics teacher at Purdue University’s Department of Computer and Information technology, “It’s real, and it is pretty scary.” Mislan says, “I think a lot of people think their cell phone calls are very secure but our privacy isn’t always what we think it is.”
It happened to Heather and Courtney Kuykendall who told NBC’s Today Show that stalkers were “listening to us and recording us,” and “we know that because they will record us and play it back as a voicemail.” The Kuykendalls are featured on a YouTube video of a channel 13 WTHR investigative report by Bob Segall. The Kuykendalls, from Tacoma, Washington, were not only spied on and tracked but Courtney, a teenager, was harassed and threatened by an unknown caller for four months. Even after the family changed cell phones the calls continued. Once the FBI was brought in, the cyber stalking stopped but the stalker was never identified.
How does cell phone tapping work?
Cell phone spyware is marketed on the web by sites offering the latest spy technology and tempting customers with idea of catching a cheating spouse, listening in on a boss or coworker or even spying on a babysitter. Web sites claim that you can spy without anyone ever knowing. Most of these services are offered from Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom and vendors charge anywhere from $60.00 to $3,000.
Are cell phone tapping programs legal?
No. Using these programs without permission is illegal. That doesn’t mean it isn’t happening and a lot more often than most of us ever knew.
“These are gross violations of the federal and state laws,” said Joe Farren, a spokesperson for CITA-The Wireless Association, an industry organization representing the nation’s major cell phone manufacturers. Farren adds, “It’s very clear, without their express permission, you can’t listen in to someone’s phone calls, you cannot read their text messages, you can’t track their movements. You can’t do any of those things and there are numerous laws being broken.”
Reporter Tests Out the Cell Spyware
Reporter Bob Segall use a cell phone spyware program
on a producer’s cell phone, with her permission. He admitted that downloading the spyware took several attempts and some patience but once it was up it worked just as the vendor as promised. This demonstration reveals what can happen when your cell phone is tapped:
Segall could her hear her phone conversations that she was having her home on his own cell phone from outside of her house. He also received constant satellite updates on her location and he could read all of her text messages. Unbelievably Segall could hear her conversation from four miles away when her cell phone was in the room, even though the cell phone was not turned on.
Can You Tell if Your Cell Phone has been Tapped?
You may very well never know but here are signs to look for:
- If your cell phone battery is warm even when your phone has not been in use.
- If your cell phone lights up at unexpected times, especially if the phone is not even in use.
- If you hear unexpected beeps or clicks during phone conversations.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
-Keep a close eye on your cell phone (don’t leave it in an unlocked gym locker) so that no one has an opportunity to download information such as spyware
-Install and use a security password on your phone
-Take the battery out of the phone when not in use
-Only use new, prepaid cell phones for especially sensitive information
Be aware that high-end cell phones that allow for internet or online access are the most vulnerable.
Think that no one would be interested in boring phone cell phone conversations? Consider these questions. Have you ever called your bank and given your social security or credit card or debit card numbers over the phone? Have you ever called a catalog company and placed an order using your debit or credit card? Have you ever called your doctor’s office and been asked for your date of birth? These cell phone spyware programs make identity theft, as well as a host of crimes easy to commit and difficult and to trace.
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