Bought a used android. Scam gone wrong ?

[Karen219]

I don't know what you all think but this sounds like a horror movie..jijijiji

Unfortunately those kind of creepy people are ALL over the place. I bought a puppy stroller off of Craig's list this last October and I met the people half way to pick it up.

Two really shifty weird freaky women showed up and I swear I felt like I was in the middle of a crack deal! Weirdest freakin' transaction I ever encountered. WAY too weird to even describe.

But on the cell phone thing... it's true. It extremely easy to hack and take control of an Android. I USED to think they were harder to hack than a conventional OS as they are Linux. But who hacks that doesn't know language and Linux? Actually, you don't have to know much of anything to hack an Android.

And yes, horror movie, creature features, svengoolie for sure. The Amazon dude and FedEx peeps ~~ lot's less scary plus they usually don't call relatives. In fact, when using PayPal or Amazon Prime, the seller never knows who you are at all and the Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and U.S.P.S. peeps don't care! Just say NO to Craig's list! IMO.

 

[Xavier Black]

I guess I am the only one who doesn't know how to hack into an Android, I thought I was a gick..can't bigging to imaging how were you feeling in the middle of those two good for nothing..

 

[Karen219]

I guess I am the only one who doesn't know how to hack into an Android, I thought I was a gick..can't bigging to imaging how were you feeling in the middle of those two good for nothing..

Getting into an Android is often just by accident. I don't personally know anyone who deliberately hacks with nefarious intent but there are some phones that just read each other. I know mine get read all the time and I get other persons phone calls and messages. They just aren't real secure. That's why BlackBerrys and burner phones are common in the drug and other such nefarious activities. They are quite difficult to get into.

 

[El Presidente]

there are some phones that just read each other. I know mine get read all the time and I get other persons phone calls and messages. They just aren't real secure.

In over 6 years of owning multiple Android devices and being a member of this forum, you are the only person I've come across who has had this problem.

Android phones don't just "read each other".

Unless you've installed something nefarious, what you're describing is impossible.

 

[Karen219]

In over 6 years of owning multiple Android devices and being a member of this forum, you are the only person I've come across who has had this problem.

Android phones don't just "read each other".

Unless you've installed something nefarious, what you're describing is impossible.

You've GOT to be kidding! With hotspots all over the place and the Hot Knot technology it just happens. It's nothing nefarious (I don't think... I'm not all that interesting to want to bother hacking). It happens all the time. Happens on the satellite dishes too with programming.

WOW! I just opened a new Android (not even 2 hours ago) and I turned it on and it found both TVs, both DVRS, three printers, two computers, and three cell phones (two android and one not) before I could even get to play store!

Well, perhaps your settings are different than mine. Who knows. I live in a very densely populated area and a lot of people leave their wi-fi open so that might be it. I just assumed that happened to EVERYONE!

Hmmm..... nope.... don't think I'm all that interesting to want to hack. I doubt it very much. I don't care what anyone else is doing either. I just find it a mild annoyance is all.

 

[deltaforce]

1- Never buy a used electronic devise because you will pay in repairing it more thane you will pay for a new phone.
2 - Never make an appointment by text, because the one texting you cane be a South Asian youth pretending to be an american, and it can be a girl that pretending to be a man or any other person that don't want you to see his real face because simply is a scammer, and the proof if this when they sent you an other man.

Having your relatives number is weird too. In my opinion that was a scam, be careful next time.

Although you gave a sound advice, the comment is racist. Why would you single out south asian guy? Are there crooks only in south asia and rest of the world is as clean as The Pope? Calling that person crook was enough to signal their intentions.

To the OP, I was told a while ago, it is difficult to trace a text. I have no idea how that is possible in today's world but I use text very rarely.
And, my brother has managed to call from his phone through my phone when we were close (i.e. he placed the call from his phone but was routed through mine, the number appeared on called device was his). I have no idea how he did, he won't tell. He is in telecom industry, knows many tricks. May be they employed something similar to skim your relative's number.

 

[Hadron]

You've GOT to be kidding! With hotspots all over the place and the Hot Knot technology it just happens. It's nothing nefarious (I don't think... I'm not all that interesting to want to bother hacking). It happens all the time. Happens on the satellite dishes too with programming.

WOW! I just opened a new Android (not even 2 hours ago) and I turned it on and it found both TVs, both DVRS, three printers, two computers, and three cell phones (two android and one not) before I could even get to play store!

Well, perhaps your settings are different than mine. Who knows. I live in a very densely populated area and a lot of people leave their wi-fi open so that might be it. I just assumed that happened to EVERYONE!

Hmmm..... nope.... don't think I'm all that interesting to want to hack. I doubt it very much. I don't care what anyone else is doing either. I just find it a mild annoyance is all.

There's a difference between finding a lot of WiFi devices and accessing someone's phone, especially doing so accidentially. Remember that unless you have the hotspot feature enabled your phone is purely a WiFi receiver, and won't be visible to another phone searching for WiFi devices.

Yes, there have been some silly things. I seem to recall that when the Samsung S3 was first released it had a feature to allow photos on it to be shared over any WiFi network it connected to, and turned on by default. This was reported to have caused some embarrassing incidents when people didn't realise they were sharing their personal photos with everyone in the office. But again, that's not the same as having your phone "read", it's a specific sharing feature that had been set up in a stupid way on a specific phone.

If you are getting someone else's phone calls and texts, the simplest explanation is that they gave the wrong number out. It's also possible that the network has re-used a number and you are getting calls from contacts of the former owner of that number, or maybe that there's a problem in the network somewhere (many years ago I had the problem where for several months if I tried to call one specific number I had a 50-50 chance of being connected to a different person, and always the same person. However the network technology has changed a lot since then). Or even that the other person sometimes diverts his phone but inputs the wrong number. There are many possibilities, but there's no mechanism by which 2 phones can accidentally connect and swap some information which makes one of them sometimes appear to be the other.

 

[El Presidente]

^Exactly.

If someone else has access to the files etc on your phone or you're getting calls/texts that are supposed to be them, that's something you've done and not just because the 2 devices are in close proximity to each other.

 

[Karen219]

There's a difference between finding a lot of WiFi devices and accessing someone's phone, especially doing so accidentially. Remember that unless you have the hotspot feature enabled your phone is purely a WiFi receiver, and won't be visible to another phone searching for WiFi devices.

Yes, there have been some silly things. I seem to recall that when the Samsung S3 was first released it had a feature to allow photos on it to be shared over any WiFi network it connected to, and turned on by default. This was reported to have caused some embarrassing incidents when people didn't realise they were sharing their personal photos with everyone in the office. But again, that's not the same as having your phone "read", it's a specific sharing feature that had been set up in a stupid way on a specific phone.

If you are getting someone else's phone calls and texts, the simplest explanation is that they gave the wrong number out. It's also possible that the network has re-used a number and you are getting calls from contacts of the former owner of that number, or maybe that there's a problem in the network somewhere (many years ago I had the problem where for several months if I tried to call one specific number I had a 50-50 chance of being connected to a different person, and always the same person. However the network technology has changed a lot since then). Or even that the other person sometimes diverts his phone but inputs the wrong number. There are many possibilities, but there's no mechanism by which 2 phones can accidentally connect and swap some information which makes one of them sometimes appear to be the other.

I've actually had the same phone number for 12 years so it's not accidental and it only happens on the Android. Just like my computer and DVR's all the networks show up on the phone. Some are wide open (I have UVerse, whom I really HATE) for my home wi-fi and it goes down so often that my network automatically scans to an open network and links to it. I never TOLD my phone, computer or DVR to do that, they just do.

I can't explain the calls and texts at all. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless someone's using a network type dialer, which I don't even know how to use but wish I did.

Funny thing about the pictures that you mentioned. I found out just how unsafe clouds can be one day when I went back through messenger texts from a friend of mine in Germany to retrieve a photo I'd deleted. I clicked it on so that I could copy it and when I did, his WHOLE CLOUD opened up! Included in that cloud were personal files and copies of orders he'd placed for products and photos I'm sure were not for my eyes.

That was DropBox.

I think the lesson to be learned is really just to be careful what one stores and types on a device and always make sure bluetooth and Hot Knot (called different things on different phones) are turned off and personal wi-fi passworded well. In open networks, like hotspots, I get all kinds of activity on my iOcean as it seems to have been programmed to seek open networks and connect to them. The new phone I got yesterday (unbelievable performance right smack out of the box, BTW!... 13 hours of FB posting, video production and PicsArt before I even charged the battery! But it IS slower than the iOcean 3GB MKT 6752.) sought out networks and found literally dozens of them (three were open networks... not passworded at all) but I put in my carefully and tediously constructed password in and locked in down. Haven't cut the sim card for it yet though as I have to cut from micro to nano and wasn't sure if I would keep this phone as primary and haven't gone outside with it yet. HOPEFULLY I won't get the annoyance things with it though.

I'm glad I've learned to use "developer tools" as from there a lot can be tweaked to ensure greater stability.

On your last note of there being no way that two phones can connect and trade information, right out of the box the new phone told me to touch it to the screen of my old phone to transfer all the information from it. I tried and tried and could not do it! I don't know why... I had Hot Knot enable (called different things on each) on both phones yet it just wouldn't work.

It was ENORMOUSLY tedious just to get the apps that I use into the phone yesterday as it doesn't have an SD expansion slot and while it can read, somehow, the common programs I use, it didn't read the "Karen specific" ones.

I've NO CLUE how I'm going to get all my photographs and videos transferred into it except to pluck them all one by one out of a cloud and since I'm not going to sit around doing that I'm probably stuck going to the AT&T store to see if they can do it UNLESS someone can tell me how!

I don't like anyone touching my phones. I especially don't like going to stores that have never seen the likes of a Chinese phone before and look at it like it landed from another galaxy.

I hope someone can give me a clue how to get all those photos to hop from my iOcean over to the new phone before the iOcean's battery completely drops dead (the USB port is loose in it and the battery underpowered for such a highly featured phone to start with so I'm running on limited time).

Have a great day! :-D

 

[Karen219]

Although you gave a sound advice, the comment is racist. Why would you single out south asian guy? Are there crooks only in south asia and rest of the world is as clean as The Pope? Calling that person crook was enough to signal their intentions.

To the OP, I was told a while ago, it is difficult to trace a text. I have no idea how that is possible in today's world but I use text very rarely.
And, my brother has managed to call from his phone through my phone when we were close (i.e. he placed the call from his phone but was routed through mine, the number appeared on called device was his). I have no idea how he did, he won't tell. He is in telecom industry, knows many tricks. May be they employed something similar to skim your relative's number.

Your brother is just having some fun with you. That little trick can be done with Panasonic landline phones too via bluetooth. All that one has to do for that little trick is enable blue tooth on both devices and wait for them to find each other and then accept the digital "handshake" at which point the phones are actually "as one".

I have my cell hooked into my Panasonic land line phones for convenience.

As far as skimming phone numbers... easy and stupid thing people do. It's called spoofing and one just goes to a website (not advertising the morons that run them) and subscribes and can put in any number they want and when making calls, that number will show up on the caller ID of the recipient. It's usually used by bill collectors and others with nefarious intent. I just block them. Messenger can make phone calls too with a phone number unidentifiable. Pfft! All kinds of things one can waste time on these days.

 

[Karen219]

There's a difference between finding a lot of WiFi devices and accessing someone's phone, especially doing so accidentially. Remember that unless you have the hotspot feature enabled your phone is purely a WiFi receiver, and won't be visible to another phone searching for WiFi devices.

Yes, there have been some silly things. I seem to recall that when the Samsung S3 was first released it had a feature to allow photos on it to be shared over any WiFi network it connected to, and turned on by default. This was reported to have caused some embarrassing incidents when people didn't realise they were sharing their personal photos with everyone in the office. But again, that's not the same as having your phone "read", it's a specific sharing feature that had been set up in a stupid way on a specific phone.

If you are getting someone else's phone calls and texts, the simplest explanation is that they gave the wrong number out. It's also possible that the network has re-used a number and you are getting calls from contacts of the former owner of that number, or maybe that there's a problem in the network somewhere (many years ago I had the problem where for several months if I tried to call one specific number I had a 50-50 chance of being connected to a different person, and always the same person. However the network technology has changed a lot since then). Or even that the other person sometimes diverts his phone but inputs the wrong number. There are many possibilities, but there's no mechanism by which 2 phones can accidentally connect and swap some information which makes one of them sometimes appear to be the other.

On that last note... question that maybe you can answer as it's become a teensy bit of an issue (I personally don't care but for some reason UVerse does). My iOcean 6752 and my computer SOMEHOW are ID'd as having the same IP address.

I don't know how this happened except that I have USB ported information between the two but I don't see how the phone somehow got the same IP address on it as the computer and WHY does UVerse care?

I consistently get phone calls and messages from them telling me that I'm not allowed to have two devices with the same IP address and I can't get a straight answer out of them as to why or HOW it happened.

Any clue????? I can't say I really care all that much but they do for some reason.