Signs of a phone being tapped. How to find out if a mobile phone is tapped? Combination of numbers to check

Ordinary citizens are having fun with “harmless wiretapping” of other people's cell phones.

It must be said right away that it is impossible to listen to a smartphone by intercepting its signal using some kind of box with an antenna. The data transmission channel is well encrypted, so “wiretapping” at this level can only be carried out by telecom operators themselves at the request of certain intelligence services. However, you can keep an eye on your beloved wife in less high-tech ways.

There are many programs available on the Internet that can secretly work on the victim’s phone and save or transfer recordings to the side. telephone conversations, SMS messages, geographical coordinates and even pictures from the built-in camera. Some programs can work like a full-fledged “bug”: you call the device and, unnoticed by the owner, hear everything that is happening around. This is quite convenient when you need to eavesdrop on a secret meeting or an equally secret date.

Operating room phone users are at risk Android systems And Windows Phone. There are spy programs for the iPhone, but you won’t be able to install them on a non-jailbroken smartphone (in the official App store Store such programs, of course, are not sold).

It is quite difficult for an untrained user to determine that there is a “bug” on the phone. However, as he writes, there are several signs that can indirectly confirm the presence of “wiretapping”.

1. High temperature batteries

If your phone battery is hot, it means it is actively discharging. This is normal during a call, but if no one has touched the device for a couple of hours, and it still remains noticeably warm, then something is happening inside it, for example, it is working spyware.

2. Your phone runs out of battery too quickly

This point follows from the previous one: if the battery discharges too quickly, especially if the phone has not been used more than usual, it means that there is some potential “running” inside it. dangerous application. However, remember that over time, batteries “wear out” and a decrease in operating time is normal. You only need to think about it if a week ago the phone worked on one charge for three days, but now it only works for one.

3. Delay when turning off

Pay attention to the delay when turning off the smartphone. If this process takes a suspiciously long time, is accompanied by blinking of the backlight (it may remain on for some time after turning off), or shutdown fails at all, then something is happening to the phone. These can, of course, be ordinary technical problems, but more unpleasant options cannot be ruled out.

4. General strange behavior

If the phone spontaneously turns on the screen backlight, turns off, reboots, installs or launches programs, then most likely you are already “under the hood”. Of course, here, too, we cannot rule out some malfunctions in the operation of the operating system, but we cannot ignore this.

5. Interference and interference

Interference can be of two types: those that you hear during a conversation, and those that occur when you bring the phone near, for example, audio speakers. In the first case, the echo or any other noise (clicks, hissing, etc.) that accompanies your conversation with any subscriber at any time is suspicious. Sometimes the appearance of interference is the result of poor signal reception or other similar problems, but if the noise is heard everywhere and not for the first day, then this is a reason for concern.

The second case is when the phone’s transmitting antenna points to other devices, primarily to speakers or speakers. You've probably heard this "gurgling" sound many times. It occurs during a conversation, as well as in standby mode at short intervals when the phone accesses the base station. Continuous gurgling when no one is talking on the phone is considered abnormal. This may mean that the spy program has contacted another phone and is transmitting all surrounding sounds to it.

Every day, millions of calls are made through mobile devices around the world. People on both ends of the line are interested in ensuring that their conversation does not go beyond a private conversation. They must be sure that their communications are not being intercepted. unauthorized persons. In this article we will tell you how to determine whether a cell phone is being wiretapped.

Extraneous sounds during conversation

One of the signs of cell phone wiretapping is the presence extraneous sounds during a conversation. Grinding, noise, monotonous squeaking, crackling - all these factors may indicate that third parties are monitoring the conversation.

To find out whether the sounds are a consequence of wiretapping the phone or whether it is banal interference from the network, you need to use a special sensor. Set it to low frequency and watch the behavior of the arrow. If it goes off scale several times a minute, then this is a sign that the phone may be tapped.

Cell phone problems

Another way to detect illegal inclusion in a conversation is to monitor the stability of the device. If stable work cell phone is suddenly disrupted by periodic spontaneous shutdowns or reboots if the phone's operating time decreases due to fast discharge batteries, this indicates that the phone is being wiretapped.

This may also be supported by the intense heating of the battery. Additional load on the battery by the listening device occurs in background. Finally, you should pay attention to the duration of shutdown mobile device. Long time switching off is a warning sign.

How to check your phone for wiretapping?

How can you find out if there is wiretapping? How to determine that a telephone conversation is no longer confidential?
Household electrical appliances will help you find the answer to this question. If, during a conversation on a mobile phone, speakers from a computer or radio begin to create interference, this is a sign of wiretapping.

Have you ever received SMS messages on your cell phone from unfamiliar numbers with an incomprehensible set of characters that do not make sense?

If yes, then this is another argument in favor of violating your personal space. In this way, listening programs send commands. Another indicator of violation of the confidentiality of telephone conversations is traffic consumption. Malware, responsible for accessing your calls, can cause your Internet bills to rise.

Using the USSD command

The simplest and affordable way To find out whether there is a fact of eavesdropping, use a USSD request. To do this, just dial *33* and then enter a random set of numbers. If after this combination of numbers is entered, not a single character can be dialed, then this is evidence of phone tapping.

However, this method is viewed skeptically by professionals. For precise definition fact of wiretapping, experts recommend using more effective methods.

Programs for detecting listening

Without resorting to electronics and USSD commands, you can detect the fact of wiretapping using applications. Using special mechanisms to detect unauthorized access to calls, these programs can clarify the picture. Such programs include:

1. Darshak;
2. Eagle Security.

Download latest version SpyWarn applications are available on the official website of the developer Spywarn.com. Similar functionality is offered by the Darshak and Eagle Security applications, which have also proven themselves to be good. You can download applications on the developer’s website or in the Play Market.

Operator assistance

If the client has suspicions about the fact of wiretapping, he has the right to seek help from his cellular company. Operators in Russia and Ukraine have modern technical means to analyze the condition of the line. If the fact of wiretapping is confirmed, the first step taken should be to install anti-eavesdropping software. Now you know how to check your phone for wiretapping.

You need to understand that attackers will not hide a bug in a wardrobe, mattress (under the bed) or under wallpaper - all these places make it difficult to hear, and therefore are not suitable for installing wiretapping. If we are talking about video surveillance, then the camera is most often attached so that there is good review- that is, under the ceiling or on the TV.

How to find a wiretap using a mobile phone

If you are going to organize it in your home or office, then you need to prepare for this.

• Firstly, you should not tell anyone about your suspicions, and especially not in the room where the alleged wiretapping is located. Because many spy devices can be turned off remotely: they heard you, pressed a button - and that’s it, finding wiretapping will become even more difficult than before. If you are afraid of video surveillance, before searching for the bug, pretend that you have lost something.
• Secondly, inspect the entire home or office very carefully, paying close attention to the areas described above. Before doing this, think about who was in the room and how long they spent there - such an analysis can give an idea of ​​​​the place where the wiretapping is hidden.
• Thirdly, use your cell phone. Unless the secret hunter has a multimillion-dollar fortune, he will most likely choose cheaper equipment. And such wiretapping can be found using a mobile phone, because they will definitely respond to its waves. Walk slowly around the entire room while talking on your mobile phone - approaching the bug will cause a reaction in the form of noise, crackling and other interference.

When trying to detect a bug using your phone, you must understand that the success rate in this matter is very small. Finding listening devices is a task that is best left to professionals. After all, you can look for wiretapping for a very long time, but still not find it - and continue to remain “on the hook”. And buying special equipment will cost a lot of money and time to learn how to use it. Therefore, to leave no doubt, it is best to turn to specialists who will do their work quickly, confidentially and efficiently.

The most obvious way is official wiretapping by the state.

In many countries around the world, telephone companies are required to provide access to telephone wiretap lines to competent authorities. For example, in Russia in practice this is carried out technically through the SORM system technical means to ensure the functions of operational-search activities.

Each operator is required to install an integrated SORM module on its PBX.

If a telecom operator has not installed equipment on its PBX to wiretap the phones of all users, its license in Russia will be revoked. Similar total wiretapping programs operate in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the USA, Great Britain (Interception Modernization Program, Tempora) and other countries.

The corruption of government officials and intelligence officers is well known to everyone. If they have access to the system in "god mode", then for the right price you can have it too. As in everyone state systems, in the Russian SORM there is a big mess and typical Russian carelessness. Most technical specialists actually have very low qualifications, which allows unauthorized connection to the system without the notice of the intelligence services themselves.

Telecom operators do not control when and which subscribers are listened to on SORM lines. The operator does not check in any way whether there is a court sanction to wiretap a particular user.

“You take a certain criminal case about the investigation of an organized criminal group, in which 10 numbers are listed. You need to listen to a person who has nothing to do with this investigation. You just get this number and say you have it operational information that this is the number of one of the leaders of the criminal group,” they say knowledgeable people from the website "Agentura.ru".

Thus, through SORM you can listen to anyone on “legal” grounds. This is such a secure connection.

2. Wiretapping through an operator

Operators cellular communication In general, without any problems, they look at the list of calls and the history of movements of a mobile phone, which is registered in various base stations according to its physical location. To obtain call records, like the intelligence services, the operator needs to connect to the SORM system.

For Russian law enforcement agencies, there is little point in installing Trojans, unless they need the ability to activate a smartphone’s microphone and record, even if the user is not talking on a mobile phone. In other cases, SORM does an excellent job of wiretapping. That's why Russian intelligence services Trojans are not actively introduced. But for unofficial use it is a favorite hacking tool.

Wives spy on their husbands, businessmen study the activities of competitors. In Russia, Trojan software is widely used for wiretapping by private clients.

A Trojan is installed on a smartphone in various ways: via fake software update, through email with a fake application, through a vulnerability in Android or in a popular software like iTunes.

New vulnerabilities in programs are found literally every day, and then they are closed very slowly. For example, the FinFisher Trojan was installed through a vulnerability in iTunes, which Apple did not close from 2008 to 2011. Through this hole, it was possible to install any software on behalf of Apple on the victim’s computer.

It is possible that such a Trojan is already installed on your smartphone. Have you ever thought that your smartphone battery is lately Does it discharge a little faster than it should?

6. Application update

Instead of installing a special spy Trojan, an attacker can do an even smarter thing: choose an application that you yourself voluntarily install on your smartphone, after which you give it full authority to access phone calls, recording conversations and transferring data to a remote server.

For example it could be popular game, which is distributed through “left” directories mobile applications. At first glance, it’s an ordinary game, but with the function of wiretapping and recording conversations. Very convenient. The user manually allows the program to access the Internet, where it sends files with recorded conversations.

Alternatively, malicious application functionality may be added as an update.

7. Fake base station

A fake base station has a stronger signal than a real base station. Due to this, it intercepts subscriber traffic and allows you to manipulate data on the phone. Fake base stations are known to be widely used by law enforcement agencies abroad.

In the USA, a model of fake BS called StingRay is popular.

And not only law enforcement agencies use such devices. For example, merchants in China often use fake BS to mass mailing spam to mobile phones that are located within a radius of hundreds of meters around. In general, in China, the production of “fake honeycombs” has been ramped up, so in local stores it is not a problem to find such a device, assembled literally on your knees.

8. Hacking a femtocell

Recently, some companies have been using femtocells - low-power miniature cellular stations that intercept traffic from mobile phones within range. Such a femtocell allows you to record calls from all company employees before redirecting the calls to the base station of cellular operators.

Accordingly, to wiretap a subscriber, you need to install your own femtocell or hack the operator’s original femtocell.

9. Mobile complex for remote wiretapping

IN in this case The radio antenna is installed close to the subscriber (operates at a distance of up to 500 meters). A directional antenna connected to the computer intercepts all phone signals, and when the work is completed, it is simply taken away.

Unlike a fake femtocell or Trojan, here the attacker does not have to worry about getting into the site and installing a femtocell, and then removing it (or removing the Trojan without leaving any traces of hacking).

The capabilities of modern PCs are enough to record GSM signal on large quantities frequencies, and then crack the encryption using rainbow tables (here is a description of the technique from a well-known expert in this field, Carsten Nohl).

If you voluntarily carry a universal bug with you, you automatically collect an extensive dossier on yourself. The only question is who will need this dossier. But if he needs it, he can get it without much difficulty.

There are many ways to listen to phone conversations different ways, both legal and beyond the law. We will tell you about the most common ones.

SORM

Operators

Interception via SS7

Vulnerabilities

Viruses

Fake base stations and femtocells

Special equipment

As you can see, tapping your phone is not particularly difficult, if only you had the desire or the means. Another thing is that people who have something to hide know about it and try to use more secure communication channels, for example, messengers like